Team Legacy: Shadows Of The Past
by Rhonda Petrie
Summary: The gang heads out to D.C. on a secret mission, but along the way, they must deal with an old foe of Zira's and stop an old employer of Rhonda's from pursuing her. Zira must also deal with some dark memories of her childhood that continue to haunt her.
1. Prologue

_**Team Legacy: Shadows of the Past**_

_Created by: Rhonda Petrie_

**Author's Notes: Well, here's one of my old stories! Finally! This is something that I started writing about two years ago and I worked on it for over a year until I stopped working on it last summer for some reason. Okay, this is considered to be one of the Team Legacy epic stories because it has a very complicated plot and some adult themes. I have to warn you that there are some serious issues dealt with, such as rape, some instances of pedophilia and there is also an example of a cult that deals with some elements of the New Age movement. And there is a character who will commit suicide in this story and how another character deals with it but I will not say who yet. This story is about the team heading out to Washington, D.C. once more on a secret ****epic mission while trying to stop Rhonda's former employer from making sexual advances on their leader. In the meantime, once they arrive in the capital of the country, they end up meeting one of Zira's childhood enemies who is much more than she seems ****and who not only has some sociopathic tendencies but also has a twisted, sick mind with ambitious plans to take over the United States and has sexual interest in children. ****They also meet up with the young son of Rhonda's former employer with a troubled and difficult past and must now protect him from everything that seeks to hurt him. **

**As Team Legacy gets tangled up with the sex and intrigue that dominates the big city, they find themselves immersed with a whole new level of evil and must stop Zira's adversary from moving on to accomplish her grand scheme and must safeguard their new ward from the evils of this world.  
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**The subtitle "Shadows of the Past" is very appropriate because it not only deals with Zira facing her past life with Zalira and her memories of the torment and suffering she put her through, but it also deals with other characters who must cope with the emotional scars of their past and try to make something of themselves even as the shadows hang over them like an ominous reminder of what they have become... It also deals with the legacies that people leave behind and the events that change people's lives forever.  
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**I hope you enjoy this story and even though some of the content might be hard to swallow I assure you it's one of the best that I've written so far. I'm just sorry that I have not worked on it for so long. I hope you like it and if you have any concerns or questions regarding this story you can always pm me.**

**The following prologue, (probably my very first), gives an insight into Zira's past and it describes an encounter she had with Zalira that meant the difference between life and death. Now this is my take on Zira's life and I know there are plenty of other versions about her life since we really don't know much about her childhood so if you don't like my interpretation then I'm sorry to tell you what can I do?  
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**Rate and Review!  
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_**P**__**rologue:**_

Zira was once again in her homeland, the Outlands, fighting with her opponent. It was with another member of her pride. She and her enemy were both fighting over Scar, who was still around at that time. This was long before Vitani, Nuka, and Kovu were ever born. This lion was dark purple with a blue underbelly. She had blue, dilated, piercing, glaring, glassy eyes that sparkled of sapphire and her tail was squiggly as a result of a birth defect. There was also blue fur sticking out of her ears. The tips of her tail were in flames and lit up brightly while at the same time blinding anyone who dared look at it close up. They crackled, sparkled, burned and blazed defiantly. Whenever the lioness would swing her tail, it seemed to fly straight at you like a demon. One of the lionesses decided to take a close look at the blazing tail and got burned and scarred for it.

If her apple-shaped ears weren't strange enough, then her jackal-shaped face would do the trick. Her nose was straightened out; her eyes widened and glared at you, and she had a triangle-shaped, blue, pudgy nose. Another disturbing feature about her was that her mouth seemed to produce blood; her teeth were stained red as if she had just made a kill. This lioness also had a scrawny, skinny build and her psyche seemed fragile, for she was nearly skin and bones. However, she was very crafty and clever, and very handy with charms and sorceries, especially voodoo magic. Her fur was ruddy, messy, silky, and easily tangled. She even had three legs, another consequence of a birth defect. Her name was also Zalira.

The battle had been going on for two hours. A couple of lionesses charged at Zalira and two of them even lunged at her. Zalira sunk her claws into their throats and slit them mercilessly. Zira also flung herself at Zalira but she received a powerful kickback swift kick in the face and skidded to the ground. So far Zira was losing. Blood had tainted her light brown fur and masked her countenance and body and dark, purple-blue bruises decorated her neck, shoulders, face, back, and chest. But she wasn't going to give up. No… she was going to win! Zira spat on the floor determinedly and then approached Zalira menacingly. At last, she has found her equal, the only lioness in her pride that can counter her moves so effectively and efficiently. _This battle has been going on for too long. It must end now,_ she thought.

She looked around, her breathing labored and raspy. Zira felt every single eye staring at her, waiting for the next move. She saw a nearby cliff and then felt a plan emerging in her mind. If it backfired, it was her life that she would lose. No time to waste. Zira then raced to the cliff and then surveyed the area. She quickly spotted Zalira and suddenly knew what to do. Zira took three steps backwards, and then charged on the cliff before leaping 20 feet high in midair and then descended upon her adversary.

Unfortunately, Zalira also spotted another opportunity to frustrate her rival's attempt to defeat her and claim her right to court Scar. Her eyes glowed blue and then a clump of vines sprouted out of the ground and then lashed out at Zira. One vine wrapped around her leg and another one clasped her neck. Suddenly, Zira found herself tumbling to the ground with the vines clinging onto her. "_Blackscar summonos,_" incanted Zalira and then a 30-feet black hole appeared on the ground. The background suddenly deafened Zira's ears as she screamed at the top of her lungs. This was one of Zalira's most notorious voodoo magic tricks, and just last year Zira even witnessed a young lion cub from an outside pride disappear into one of those ominous black holes. The deep and ugly scars and scratch marks on her body were beginning to sting. Zira knew that she had only 5 minutes to get out, or she'll never see the light of day again…


	2. A Secret Mission

**Author's Notes: Well, this is officially the first chapter of yet another epic tale of the latest of Team Legacy's adventures. The superhero team has to go to one of their secret epic missions, their first one in a really long time, if ever. This is also one of my few stories that features Cliff and Buddy and I really wish I had displayed them more, since they are such interesting characters. In the meantime, Rhonda receives a letter from Lena and it turns out to be written by none other than Mr. Piano, her former employer. This letter reveals his passionate feelings for her and it dawns on her that he might be seriously sexually attracted to her, which is a great indication of his pedophiliac tendencies. Now I don't know how Rhonda was eventually let go of Mr. Piano's service, but I think her parents probably found out about his severe abuse of their daughter and they intervened and helped her escape from him at some point. I have also written a story about Mr. Piano and of how he has her transported into another dimension as a method of retaliation and she had to figure out a way to get back into her world; however, I don't really know where it is and chances are I probably lost it or I must have left it at someone's house a long time ago. But I know I've written a story like that. I have also thought of the possibility of Mr. Piano reentering Rhonda's life and he tries to get his revenge on her by sexually assaulting her and trying to destroy her entire family and ohana, but I don't know when that will come into fruition.  
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**The team soon realizes that they must head out to Washington D.C. to stop Mr. Piano from getting his dirty, perverted hands on their leader and make plans to go there in the morning. However, a famous judge gets wind of the news and arrives on the doorsteps of the Legacy mansion in order to intervene. Now from reading this chapter, (and paying attention to some of Rhonda's comments regarding Mr. Piano's feelings for her), and by thinking back to "Summer Brawl At Year's End", I feel it is really ironic to see how Rhonda eventually ends up sleeping around with several males, including Gideon and Earl, and produces a total of 12 children, especially since this story takes place several months before "Summer Brawl At Year's End". This is also a very interesting story because you get to see how innocent and naive Rhonda was back then; now I think she is a bit more cynical, mature, worldly, and very independent-minded and extremely strong-willed, especially since she has gone through a lot of hardships in the past. I think the reason why you never see Abigail or Sybille in any of my stories is that not only did they not originally exist before, but they were never really interested in participating in any of Rhonda's adventures to begin with, and preferred to stay at home. And Beatrice and Harold are way too old to be out there fighting villainy anyway, no offense, and they have to work to support the family. **

**And when Suzanne is discussing about the time that Laverne, Hugo, Jessica and Jane went to Danger City to rescue her husband, that is a reference to one of my earlier stories, which I might probably post up this summer.  
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**So I hope you enjoy this story and hopefully I'll post a couple of new chapters by the end of next week, since I'm finishing up my junior year in a couple of days. **

**Read and review!  
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**_Chapter 1 – A Secret Mission_**

**Z**ira then suddenly woke up with a start. The dark and silent room slowly drew her back into reality. The Outlander lioness shook with fear. For two straight weeks she had this same dream over and over again, and at the most suspenseful moments, she would just wake up. But it wasn't just her fateful battle with Zalira that haunted her; there were dreams that also dealt with more memories of Zalira.

Zalira was the most notorious figure in the entire African land, even amongst both Outlanders and Pridelanders. She has sent shivers upon the spines of lions and was even feared and reviled by most people. Zira knew better than to run into her. In fact, she was Zalira's target for bullying for years. Ever since they were cubs, Zalira would tease Zira about her looks and thought that she was the most strangest-looking lion in the savanna. Zalira often defied the authority of elders and councilmen and was more often than not a suspect in millions of disappearances and/or murders of cubs, even though she had been tried and convicted of at least 10.

Zira was ridiculed, criticized, mocked, derided, and taunted by the audacious young lioness cub and also became the pawn of Zalira's dangerous schemes. 90% of those schemes included the murders and disappearances of lion cubs. Zira would go over to a lion or lioness cub on orders from Zalira and ask them if he/she can play with her. After a day of playing, Zira would walk the cub back to his/her house and would also journey back home. But the next morning the cub would be reported missing.

When the elders would confront her about when she had last seen that cub, Zira would tell them as much information as possible. Most of the time she had no idea that the cub that she had played with would vanish without a trace the following day. But after a while, even Zira herself knew that Zalira might have something to do with the disappearances. After all, she HAD told her to play with the soon-to-be missing cub the previous day.

When the cubs were eventually found, they were under pretty sickening, revolting, gut wrenching, and grisly circumstances. The cubs were either transformed into skeletons from being eaten up by various predators such as hyenas and vultures, slaughtered or poisoned by bigger, dangerous cats and snakes deep in the jungle, dead from lack of water in the desert combined by heat exhaustion, or even decapitated, mutilated and amputated by crocodiles in the swampy, murky waters.

Some of the victims were li-tigons, ligers, tigons, lynxes, hornbills, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, panthers, giraffes, meerkats, warthogs, antelopes, gazelles, and zebras. Zira was also victimized and abused mentally, emotionally, and psychically by Zalira. She was chased and pursued by crocodiles, barely escaped wild beast stampedes, almost eaten by predatory birds, practically drowned in deep water, and was also driven out of her own pride.

There were even days when Zira came home to her mother with nosebleeds, mud dripping on her fur, deep scratches and scars on her body and even a broken leg. Zalira also would beat her to a pulp and Zira would half drag half crawl homeward. One time, Zalira stuck her in the eye with her claw and she lost so much blood she nearly went blind. Zalira even angered the bees that were busy making honey and ran off without a hitch, leaving Zira to be stung and assaulted brutally. Zalira also called her various names and belittled her numerous times. She insulted her hunting and fighting skills, called her ugly and scrawny, and even nicknamed her "Ratface". Zalira even mocked her womanhood and even claimed that she wasn't a woman at all – she was a little rat disguised as a lion.

Zira's eyes heated red at all of those memories. Steam erupted from her ears and then she started to seethe in anger. Zira then tore from her room and then dashed across the hallway to Rhonda's room. Once there, she ripped open her door and then took out a BB gun. Zira immediately started firing. Rhonda started from her bed and then screamed.

"OH MY GOD! ZIRA'S GONE CRAZY! SUZANNE, THOMAS, SCAR, ZAZU, SIMBA, NALA, MONA, MATTHEW, FRANCES, LENA, HENRY, POODLES, JOAN, PUMBAA, TIMON, BOB, EVERYBODY HELP!" she yelled. "I AM NOT A FUCKING RATFACE!" screeched Zira as she kept on firing. Suddenly Lena Rosenberg came behind her and then wrapped her right arm around her neck. She then gave it a little squeeze. Zira croaked and then immediately dropped the gun. Lena Rosenberg then did a leg sweep and soon the both of them were on the floor, with Lena on her back.

Zira was choking and gagging and grabbed onto her left arm. "Who's the bitch here? Huh? Who's The Queen of Hell here? You do not fire in open air at a freaking 15-year-old, especially when that 15-year-old is your LEADER!" growled Lena Rosenberg, scolding. "What's going on here?" demanded a deep, husky voice, and then Suzanne Carmichael arrived on the scene. Lena Rosenberg still maintained her half nelson while lying on her back and having eye contact with the veteran actress.

"Sorry to bust your rough housing party, but we have to go on a secret mission in the morning," she announced. "A secret mission! That's the first secret mission we probably ever had in a while!" exclaimed Rhonda. "Or our first," retorted Zira while squeaking. "First of all, where are we going?" inquired Lena Rosenberg. "We have to go to four cities: Washington, D.C., Danger City, New York, and a city named New London," answered Suzanne Carmichael. "Just tell the neighbors we went off on an extended fishing trip," suggested Rhonda. "How about this? We went off to visit your grandparents," rasped Zira.

Lena Rosenberg then finally released Zira from her grasp and then Zira took a deep breath. "Kill me and then say we went off on an extended funeral," she snarled at her. "I heard from Laverne that last time her husband was kidnapped and she went off to Danger City to rescue him along with Jessica Fletcher, Hugo, and Jane Walters. Then you guys were involved in a war between two cities that was very disturbing, and some of the Team Legacy members even became slaves."

"And then there were the three embarrassing commercials that infuriated Jane Walters so much that she tossed the damn television out of the window. And she also mentioned that one of her daughters, who is to be 4-years-old this year, was born in a tub in an airplane in a tense situation because Frollo might have easily busted them. God, what a mission you guys had. I think this time it might be just as thrilling," replied Suzanne Carmichael with a smirk.

"Or maybe just as dangerous," piped up Cliff, who just walked in. Buddy accompanied him, faithful as ever. "One of the pirates was holding him off," stated Laverne as she strolled in. "Oh, and by the way, here's a letter for you, Rhonda," quipped Lena Rosenberg and then she tossed the letter to Rhonda. Rhonda grasped the letter and then slit the envelope open with her finger. She then lifted up the letter and began to read. It said the following:

"_Mr. Gilbert German-Zion aka Mr. Piano_

_26670 NW 56th Ridge Point Avenue_

_Washington__, District of Columbia__, Virginia_

_Dear Miss Rhonda Sarah Petrie, it has come to my attention that your reputation has gotten wind of some of the damn best politicians in the capital city of America and even me. As you may or may not remember, I am your former employer Mr. Piano. Yes I was very demanding and very harsh and mean and cruel to you but I must also confess something to you. _

_Ever since the day I met you I have been in love with you. You are by the far most intelligent, brightest, cleverest, resourceful, kindest, compassionate, merciful, benevolent, and the most beautiful underage teenage British-American leader in the entire country. No other hero or heroine has done what you did; you even had the guts to take in the notorious Queen of Hell Lena Rosenberg. Your exploits are legendary; you have one of THE best teams in the city of London and in the entire country of Great Britain. You are well focused and have a firm grip on your moral compass as far as I know as a leader. _

_As the years go by and as I sit in the balcony of my million dollars mansion in the far suburbs, I can't help but think I'm missing something really special. There is something conspicuously missing in my life, and it's you. I cannot take this anymore, Miss Petrie. I want you to marry me so we can live a comfortable life in my mansion and watch the ducks go by in the lake. I want to be buried beside you in the most desolate of cemeteries, I want to dance with you in the rainbow-soaked grass plains of Ireland, I want to cruise with you in the Caribbean Sea and even fight millions of men for you. Please come visit me in my lovely abode in Washington, D.C. I'll be waiting for you._

_Sincerely__, Mr. Piano._

_P.S. I know about your secret mission."_

"Oh heck no. Mr. Piano has really gone overboard the serial pedophile cruise ship," commented Rhonda, who was very disturbed and distraught. Lena Rosenberg was laughing at her comment, but that was not the only reason why she was laughing. "Uh oh, looks like somebody finally has the hots for you. I figured you were one sexy gal all along, even though I normally wouldn't admit it," she teased.

"Lena, if I were you, I wouldn't be laughing. I think this is someone who wants to take advantage of a very young virgin," scolded Suzanne Carmichael tartly. "Yeah, I would probably screw the very first fingergirl that walked by if I were him, just like that bastard Roscoe," scoffed Cliff disdainfully. "The very first fingerbird your brother screwed was your sister," snapped Zira while hissing out the word "sister".

"That's true. That's one of the main reasons why I've never been able to forgive him for 14 years," agreed Cliff. "I could screw you right now if you want, big boy," whispered Buddy in a seductive tone. "Oh no! I'm not about to see incest play out before my very eyes. If you ask me, the first man I should have slept with a long time ago is Tom," objected Suzanne Carmichael, referring to her husband. "Same here for Henry," responded Lena Rosenberg.

"I really shouldn't be sleeping with anybody right now, especially since I'm 15. Also, there is something that I've kept secret for a few years. Gather up on my bed and I'll tell you," argued Rhonda. So everyone congregated on Rhonda's bed as she gathered up her thoughts and then braced herself for a harrowing, disturbing truth. "You can tell us now, Rhonda. We wouldn't even say a word of this to your parents," coaxed Laverne.

Rhonda smiled a bit and then cleared her throat. "Mr. Piano made me pose as his girlfriend during the time I was his employee. I did mostly paperwork and he ran a shop where he collected and sold plants, flowers, weapons, and antiques from foreign dealers and businessmen. I remember one time Ronald Folton strolled into the shop. Mr. Piano had walked up to meet him and I listened to their entire conversation. 'Hello, I'm Mr. Piano. Welcome to Mr. Piano's Extravaganza Shop O'Mills. Who are you, good sir?' he greeted him in a friendly and charismatic matter. 'The name is Ronald Folton sir. I've come here for a rare artifact,' was Mr. Folton's reply. And I perked up and thought to myself, _This is interesting." _

_"_Mr. Piano rummaged into his old box of things and then took out a li-tigon clock dating from the 1920's. Inside its mouth was an amethyst that sparkled in a light source and when you turned on a switch, it even serves as a miniature lamp. The li-tigon figure itself was posed in a knee bending down position, stretching out his neck, sticking out his tail, and roaring. His legs were collapsed before him, and his eyes were closed shut. The clock part was pure gold and on its right side, costing $712,000 just for sale. It was also a container for small jewelry and other knickknacks."

"The piece itself was painted in pure 3D form and it blended so realistically and the details were meticulously cared for. His orange fur stood out and his black faded stripes were also noticeable. You could run your fingers against the piece and feel the hard, rough, yet smoothed surface and be able to slide them onto its "fur" very easily because its back slopes up and down. Its nose was also pink and its ears stuck out like feathers. But the amethyst inside the li-tigon's mouth is also a 400-carat ring that gives the clock its magical properties. There is also a slot in the back that has a knob on it and if you pull it open, a chain comes out and the clock has just transformed into a necklace."

"Unbeknownst to Ronald Folton, this object was designed to allow its user to use its limitless magical abilities and powers and to also manipulate time, technology, gravity, change an organism's biological makeup, shoot laser beams and blasts, be invulnerable and indestructible, make jumps of 70 feet or more, mutate himself or herself in order to grow a new body part, and also increase the user's strength by the magnitude of his/her anger."

"It also gives the user the ability to control and generate wind itself and use the moon's pull to create tidal waves and the movement of tectonic plates to create volcanoes and cause earthquakes. The clock also enabled the user to use the sun's power to create devastating heat waves and make geomagnetic storms. In a worse case scenario, the user can also cause nuclear power plants to combust and explode, wiping out the nation's main power sources and giving birth to a nationwide blackout and perhaps a nuclear holocaust."

"Ronald paid for the piece twice more than it was worth and then went home to his wife to give it to her as a present. As soon as she received the gift, she inherited the varied powers that the clock had to offer. However, it became too much for her and then one day she dumped the thing in the trash and had gotten rid of it. Mr. Piano found out about it and fined Ronald Folton $5000, which he paid. He hated his customers treating his antiques like garbage, and yet he treats his employees like garbage!"

"Mr. Piano screamed at me for being too slow and too lazy and being irresponsible and for always losing his supplies. Sometimes he would strike me across the face and cause me to have nosebleeds. Other times he would whip me with a cat o' nine tails. That clock he sold to Mr. Folton was one of his most treasured possessions. He called it, "The Devil Cat Clock." And eventually I quit my job as his secretary and I "broke up" with him too. That freaking bastard. I've never been treated so badly in my life."

"He did like old pianos, records from the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and so on, and he even owned vases, animal figures, portraits of the rich and famous, and I remember he had a collection of all of the 42 presidents of the United States. Mr. Piano loved to paint, and on one of those rare days when he didn't abuse me verbally, emotionally, and psychically, he invited me to pose for one of his portraits and I accepted, because I figured I would never get another chance like it. Last time I saw him, he still had it. He told me that he'll always keep it, to remind him of all the memories we had together."

"I wasn't the only employee who had to pretend to be his girlfriend. All of his other secretaries had to also. Mr. Piano was also a very rich man and often went out on social and business trips while I kept shop. However, he hardly discussed with me about his social status. I have never been to his mansion, ever!" Rhonda ruefully confessed. Everyone was shocked. Laverne had a concerned and worried look on her face and was sweating excessively, and Suzanne Carmichael was biting her lip in distress with her pupils dilated.

Lena Rosenberg's jaw was dropped and her eyes popped up like crazy and her body experienced a brief and sudden tremor. Rhonda examined the horrified and shaken looks on her teammates' faces. "How could he do this to you?" spat out Laverne after an awkward moment of silence. Lena trembled with rising anger and then her eyes glowed red. Her lips were also quaking and her fists rolled up and clenched tightly. Suzanne could hear a muffled growl from Lena as she tried to soak up what had just been revealed.

Then, without a warning, Lena Rosenberg exploded. "Damn him! Damn Mr. Piano! If he has touched you even one time, I swear I'll see to it that he never touches you again!" she hissed indignantly. "Let's go to Washington, D.C.," declared Suzanne Carmichael quietly. "What did you say?" squawked Cliff. "We need to deal with Mr. Piano first. We cannot proceed further in our secret mission if we're going to risk having him stalk us and attempt to sexually assault Rhonda," Suzanne argued firmly. "She's right," agreed Buddy while fluttering her wings. "Yeah, I was opting for Washington, D.C. anyway," added Cliff.

"Yeah, besides, Rhonda has big…" started Nuka as he strolled by. "Don't make me smack you across the face!" threatened Lena Rosenberg exasperatingly. "Nuka, how dare you say that!" screamed Zira, embarrassed. "Yeah, Nuka. You know how much I hate that word," scolded Rhonda. "What? Boobs?" asked Nuka. "Don't say I didn't warn ya," snarled Lena Rosenberg and then she tackled Nuka and began to pummel him in the head with her fists while Nuka tried to defend himself with his arms.

Rhonda and Suzanne Carmichael rushed to Nuka's aid and while the latter managed to pull the furious hotelier/realty investor from the young lion, the former knelt down next to Nuka. Lena was kicking and screaming with blind rage and tears were coming out of her eyes. Suzanne could feel her steamy hot breath permeating her right arm.

"Lena, calm down. Calm down Lena. I'll put you to bed. You need some rest," she whispered gently. Then she lifted up the rich New Yorker and then carried her in her arms to bed. Zira then unrolled the comforter and then Suzanne Carmichael laid Lena Rosenberg on the bed and then tucked her in. By now The Queen of Hell, who had been throwing a passionate, enraged fit only minutes ago, was now fast asleep.

Zira, Nuka, Cliff, Buddy, Suzanne Carmichael, Laverne, and Rhonda then hovered over their tough friend. "Let's sing her a little lullaby," suggested Rhonda. "What kind of song would she like?" inquired Laverne. "I think I know," Cliff spoke. He then cleared his throat and began to sing loudly and then Buddy shoved her hand in his throat in an attempt to shut him up.

"Sleep well, my little Lena. Let your soul fly. Put your mighty mind to rest, my little Queen," Suzanne crooned softly. "Let yourself float in peace, and put your pride aside. No one is out to get you now, and you're in a celestial sanctuary. You have a husband who adores you, and a dog who loves your very much," whispered Rhonda melodically.

"We accept you as you are, and we can take your tantrums," sang Cliff. "And no matter how many times you blow up, you're always a part of this family," joined in Buddy. "You're always a part of this family," chorused everyone. "You're like a sister to me," chimed Zira. "Who's always brave," countered Laverne. "You never fear anything, not even death," sang Suzanne Carmichael. "So this is our song to you, so sleep well. Nothing's ever going to hurt you, even if you happen to be the Queen of Hell," cried everyone in unison. "So good night, our Majesty," replied Suzanne Carmichael. "And have sweet dreams," finished Rhonda.

And then everyone kissed Lena good night and then departed from the room, except for Suzanne Carmichael that is. She then tucked herself into bed and then smiled at her fellow teammate. "Night, Lena. Tomorrow morning, we're going to kick some good ass," Suzanne vowed. Then, her head nodded off as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

...

The next morning, the doorbell rang downstairs and then Zira trampled down the stairs and then trotted to the front door of The Legacy Mansion. She then unlocked the door and then turned the knob and opened it. It was Judge Trudy Silverstone! "Hello. Is this The Team Legacy residence?" she interrogated Zira. "Yes. I'm one of their members, Zira," mumbled Zira. "Speak up when you're talking to me, and look me straight in the eye, unless you have just gotten out of bed. Oh, and speaking of which, forgive me for disturbing you guys but this house call is urgent," retorted Judge Trudy sternly but politely.

"What is it?" growled Zira irritatingly. "First of all, word on the street is that Mr. Piano had an affair with your leader," answered Judge Trudy while crossing her arms. "Heck no! That's not true! Rhonda was telling us about her relationship with Mr. Piano last evening and she didn't say a word about any sexual relationship with him," protested Zira. "Oh really? You say that she was discussing her relationship with Mr. Piano, and yet you also say that she never noted a single sexual encounter with him. Am I correct?" pointed out Judge Trudy, trying to get the facts straight.

"Of course. He was very abusive with her. He slapped her around and he even whipped her with a cat 'o nine tails. These slaps would cause nosebleeds, and I've never seen her with a nosebleed. Mr. Piano called her lazy, irresponsible, always losing his stuff, and although it's true that happens sometimes, but still it's not right to belittle her like that," explained Zira.

"I agree with you on that point. Do you know where he is?" responded Judge Trudy. "His mansion is at Washington, D.C. His address is 26670 NW Ridge Point Avenue. His real name is Gilbert German-Zion, so therefore "Mr. Piano" is his moniker. But Lena handed a letter from him to Rhonda and it tells a somewhat different story," said Zira in a matter-of-fact way. "Give me that letter. I would like to take a look at it," demanded Judge Trudy. "I'll head to the room where Suzanne and Lena are still sleeping in. Wait down here," reassured Zira. She then galloped upstairs and then walked through the hallway.

Zira then reached the room and then used her tail to open the door quietly. She then slipped inside and then tiptoed to the bed. The air conditioner was humming like a bee and there were the sounds of snoring. Zira then leapt onto the bed and then nudged Suzanne Carmichael's head. "Hey Suzanne! You got a visitor downstairs!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

No sooner had she said this when Suzanne started from her bed and pushed Zira onto her back. "What the fuck do you want?" she snapped. "Zira, I'll whoop your behind really good when I get up," muttered Lena Rosenberg in her sleep. "Judge Trudy is in the house!" spat out Zira impatiently. "What the fuck? Some freaking judge is in the house!" thundered Lena Rosenberg as she sprung out of bed. She then proceeded to storm out of the room and trampled through the hallway.

Soon Lena Rosenberg was descending from the stairs and then soon reached the bottom. She then set her sights on Judge Trudy. "Hello. Are you another member of Team Legacy?" bellowed Judge Trudy, for they were 5-10 feet away from each other. "Yep, Lena Mandy Rosenberg, Queen of Hell," Lena Rosenberg huffed cockily. "I am Trudy Silverstone, better known as Judge Trudy. I was born in Brooklyn, New York," countered Judge Trudy. Rhonda was also standing in the shadows that were produced by the dusky new dawn that was just rising. She leaned over the banisters of the stairs and was overseeing the unusual showdown. The newly born sun cast its shadows on the kitchen. It glowed and shined like a disco ball and watched over the entire scenery.

The birds soared past the sun and one tattered jay bird roosted on the windowsill. It pecked and banged on the glass and then hopped and shifted its weight to and fro, desiring to know what the commotion was going on. Much of its feathers were missing and its left eye was ripped out and now bears a scar. It also displays a Prussian blue color and its eye color is midnight blue. Its crest is also indigo and its markings are smudged black ink and are like Dalmatian spots. Its beak is midnight blue as well.

The blue jay was no bigger than a finch and was the average height of a cardinal. It was plump and round and had scrawny, stick-thin legs. Its wingspan was only 2 inches. To make matters worse, its tail was almost gone and still bore a bloody stained edge. The pink, tender spots where the feathers used to be also showed.

Suddenly a giant vulture came out of the blue and then butted the blue jay through the window. The blue jay was now rocketing down to the ground and gave out a weak, high-pitched, pathetic cry. Judge Trudy and Lena Rosenberg turned around from their suspenseful confrontation and then witnessed the small bird's fall. Rhonda then raced to save the bird. "Hang on, little birdie! I'll save you!" she shouted. She then intercepted the young nestling with her beak and while clenching it firmly but softly, she then glided to the floor.

Judge Trudy and Lena Rosenberg ran up to meet her. Rhonda then dropped the hatchling on her hands and then the blue jay looked up at the two women while blinking. Its eye was a dark, black, opaque, murky pool that somehow reflected its light. There were also blood spots on the left side of its head and also on random areas on its body.

However, the injuries looked very grievous and deep and the blood was still relatively fresh. There was a cut on the throat area; it looked like whoever attacked the bird was trying to cause its death by slitting its throat but was unsuccessful, but barely. The cut was 5 inches deep; another two inches and the blue jay wouldn't be resting in Rhonda's hands right now. When Rhonda touched its crest, it slid to the left and its brain was momentarily exposed. "Oh no! Tell me I didn't see an explicit wound!" cried Judge Trudy in horror. "What a small brain," commented Lena Rosenberg tactlessly.

"I'm going to Dr. Sloan's room right now. This bird needs immediate surgery," Rhonda declared affirmatively and then she zipped upstairs and to Dr. Sloan's room. When she got to Dr. Sloan's room, she knocked on his door maniacally before Dr. Sloan opened up the door. "What is it Rhonda… Oh my God! What is that?" mumbled Dr. Sloan annoyingly before he was startled and awfully disturbed by the blue jay's ghastly appearance.

"Dr. Sloan, can you please help this bird? I think a predator must have attacked it," Rhonda implored desperately. "Right away, Rhonda. I'll be in the medical lab if you need me," complied Dr. Sloan without hesitation and then he scooped up the bird in his arms and then rushed to the medical lab. Rhonda was very concerned and felt very vulnerable. She gulped and silently prayed that the bird survived the surgery.

Rhonda and the Legacy were soon sitting in the kitchen and were feasting on their breakfast in silence and vigilance. They were glancing at the empty, lighting stairs that was untouched and barren for nearly two hours. They were also dressed for their trip to Washington, D.C. Rhonda was incessantly stirring her bowl of Cheerios, even though it was her favorite cereal, and was too anxious and nervous to even take a bite of her meal.

"For Pete's sake, Rhonda, eat!" urged Henry Rosenberg, who was already getting unnerved and worried by her distraught and distressed behavior. Poodles was prancing around the table, begging and pleading for the young teenager to eat with his high-pitched barks. Finally, the gnawing hunger in Rhonda's stomach was getting too strong and then overtook and conquered her, and she began to chomp down on her food.

"Whoa! Rhonda definitely was hungry!" remarked Mary Kate Leningrad. "After two hours of staring at her bowl, why wouldn't she?" retorted Lena Rosenberg. "Don't ruin your dress!" warned Diane Bernstein admonishingly.

Rhonda was dressed in a heavy, puffy, delicate, fabric-built dress with an upper chest section that was a little tight but covered her breasts. She also wore a red, fancy, aristocratic hat that was encrusted with diamonds and aquamarines. Her dress was also red and was layered in rough, crisscross; fabric-like bedding that supported and enhanced the dress. This dress also came with a furry white boa and a crème white corset on her left shoulder. The sleeves were embroidered with flowers and the boa also had flowers blooming into view. In fact, each flower that was adorned on her dress was tied with a red ribbon and was set up on an intersecting X pattern on the bottom dress sector.

The upper part was designed in a circular pattern. There were also fake blue jays, canaries, and cockatoos perched on her shoulders and hat. There even was a white duck feather on her fancy lady hat that had a diamond wrapped in its clutches. It was clearly a flamboyant and shocking display, and Rhonda was attempting to act like a lady.

"You all know that an affair with God knows how old that Mr. Piano guy is wrong. And yet you're dressing this kid up for your secret mission!" reproached Judge Trudy. "We all want to look respectable, but we are going to keep an eye on Mr. Piano. We can't risk him being alone with her at anytime," explained Kate Seymour. "I'm going to give you a tape recorder, and every day one of you is going to record important and relevant information about Mr. Piano. And that goes for Rhonda too."

"When you finish up your secret mission, you write me up an email telling me so and you give me any information that you have uncovered while on your trip. When I read your email, I'll refer you to a judge who will review and work on your case. If you want to sue Mr. Piano for felony violation of child labor laws, armed battery, forcing a minor to be his or her mate against his or her will, child abuse, and plotting to get a child bride, go ahead."

"If you want to bring charges for those same reasons, or if her parents want to bring charges against Mr. Piano, go ahead! I don't care what you do; give Mr. Piano the justice he deserves. That's my advice to you," instructed Judge Trudy and then she reached into her purse and then took out a tape recorder.

She then handed it over to John Milton, who was sitting next to her. "Here. Take good care of it. You may need it," Judge Trudy told him. "Um… Thanks," replied John Milton meekly. Just then, Dr. Sloan came down the stairs with a covered cage. He then placed it on the table and soon everyone crowded around it. He then lifted off the blanket and then presented the tiny blue jay to everyone. The blue jay was sleeping in the cage and its wounds were stitched up and cleaned. He was now spottier than ever before, and it showed. He also shook and convulsed in his slumber.

Dr. Sloan then gently covered him up with a blanket. "He has lost a considerable amount of blood, and he also has lost a good amount of fat, so he must be very famished. When I felt around his stomach, all I could feel was muscle. When this little bird wakes up, he'll have some food," he said in an informative manner. "Plus, The Devil Cat Clock is rumored to be somewhere in the Washington, D.C. area. You might find people that can help you on your mission. Be on the lookout for politicians. You don't know what they might do to you," added Judge Trudy. "What are you going to be doing while we're gone?" asked Ducky. "What do you think I do? I do my own T.V. show. Now go on. Get going or you're going to miss your ride," snapped Judge Trudy.

"Take care of yourself, Mrs. Silverstone," said Thomas Carmichael with a smile. "Thank you, Mr. Carmichael. Now, I must be going myself. I wish you luck on your mission and I hope your leader takes care of herself as well," returned Judge Trudy loyally. "Come on guys. We have to get to the subway station to catch our train. It departs at 11," urged Rhonda. Then, everyone stampeded out of the club and John Milton was the last person standing. He then grinned at Judge Trudy before leaving to follow the others.

As Judge Trudy Silverstone watched John's figure disappear from sight, she couldn't help but smile. Just then, her cell phone rang and then Judge Trudy picked it up. "Hello? Oh, hi Terry. Well, I'm at The Legacy Mansion. I was going to interrogate the leader, Rhonda Sarah Petrie, about something. Yes, I'll be coming right home. Bye, Terry. I love you too," she called. Judge Trudy then slips the cell phone into her purse and then leaves The Legacy Mansion too.


	3. Onward To Washington, DC

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own the canon characters that are in Team Legacy; I only own the original characters in the team and the name itself, Zalira Demur, Master Groundwood, the lion cubs, Abraham Hershel, Mr. Piano and of course the storyline.**

**_Chapter 2: Onward To Washington, D.C. And To The Mansion Of Mr. Piano_**

**R**honda and the Legacy had finally arrived at The Tooberku Muskgee Subway Station. The assistant manager of the subway station, Master Groundwood, who was a shaven, cheery-eyed, enthusiastic, cautious, naïve, friendly, brilliant, skinny, muscular, smooth-faced, handsome, good-looking, resourceful, level headed, moralistic, young, 6"5 ½ college freshman fresh out of high school with a fresh and optimistic outlook on the world and was always looking forward to being the assistant manager of his own business. He was always polite and earnest with his customers, and he took great care to be honest and to give good service as much as possible.

"Hello, Team Legacy! What can I do for you?" he greeted them. "We would like a ticket for Washington, D.C.," requested Adult Simba. "That would be $5," answered Master Groundwood. Nuka then chipped in a crisp 5-dollar bill and then Master Groundwood held it up to his face. He then scanned it thoroughly with his X-ray vision and then pushed a button in the cash register and the drawer clang open. He then set the bill into the drawer and then slammed the button of the ticket manufacturer and then the machine spat out a pink, rectangular-shaped ticket with a hurricane sign on it.

Mercy Hillary snatched the ticket and then examined it. "What the fuck is this? This has a hurricane sign on it!" she fumed. "It was my boss, I swear," countered Master Groundwood defensively. "Shut up, everyone! We do not have much time to waste. Mr. Piano might have killed himself already if we don't hurry," roared Zira angrily. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. Let's get in the dang train already," snarled Lois Whitley. Patience Barton snorted. "Let me beat up some dang professional gunslingers," she muttered to herself.

The Legacy then entered the subway station. Their train was already there. The sliding doors let up for the heroes to go through, and so they passed through them and entered the train. Once the doors closed, the train instantly started moving. "Holy shit! We're heading for Washington!" shouted Angelo. "Who knows? We might meet up with Hilary Clinton or Obama," commented Maria. "Perhaps we might. We might," responded Gus. Rhonda was just looking out at the window, with her arms folded on her back and her solemn, thoughtful, serious expression reflecting in the light. "I wonder what that kid's thinking of next," whispered Laverne. "Yeah. I wonder what's up with her," replied Hugo.

"Do you think she's all right?" inquired Kalvu. "For all I know, America's been through a lot of hell in the last year. Florida's economy sucks, we might be heading into a recession, and the stimulus package that the Senate's trying to give to President Brush might not be enough to save the economy," argued Emily Hartley. "No spit, Sherlock. We might be moving into serious trouble," agreed James Gordon. "Does anyone remember the Reagan years? Now that was really bad," retorted Tess McNeal.

"Yeah. Many small businesses had to be closed," recalled Thomas Carmichael. "We really shouldn't go into the gloom and doom. The economy might pick up by 2010," Victor spoke up. "What if it never picks up? What if we fall into another Great Depression?" lashed out Patience Barton while trembling with anger and frustration. "What did you do to cope with the Reagan years, Tess?" interrogated Samantha Perkins. Paula Richards perked up in order to listen to what Tess McNeal had to say.

"I simply tried to weather it out. I took a job as a high school French literature teacher and a waitress. I also did any gig that came my way. I even served as a volunteer at a hospice center for children with terminal illness. I try to bring happiness to those that didn't have much to live. I wasn't about to let Mick's bullcrap get in the way of my work. As for Mick, his work as a mechanic slackened off, and eventually he quit altogether. I was so furious when it happened. He was a spoiled brat who wanted somebody to do stuff for him and he was not accustomed to hard times, and when they do hit close to home, he usually turned a blind eye to them."

"Believe me, when I was a child in France, hard times occurred more than easy times, and I was so used to them that every time bad fortunes struck my family, I would sail through them as if it was nothing. I know it sounds kind of callous and insensitive, but I know the pain that people go through in times like these. And I know how to get your mind off the bad times," Tess McNeal explained to everyone.

That was when she started dancing. Rhonda then turned around and saw her cousin dancing and smiled. In turn, she started to dance too. Tess McNeal made a glance at her young cousin and started to form a grin too. Her niece Marie Frances might be rotten, vile, selfish, and nefarious, but Rhonda was something else. She was an angel. Tess McNeal then moved her hips from side to side and threw her head around and yelled out a hoot. Soon the entire team was dancing their troubles away. Everyone was in complete ecstasy and euphoria.

Just two seats down was an investigative journalist/amateur sleuth who was looking for a big story. This man was from Montreal, Quebec and he was of Scottish, English, Swedish and Belgian descent besides being French. He was 6"3 and his skin was already weathering and leathery. His white hair was balding and receding, his visage was rugged and weary, and his eyes was sagging and losing its vitality. His hairy body was worn out and shriveled, but still retained its good muscle tone. His legs were the only ones that were still sharp and strong, and they have always been important to him for moving, walking, and running.

The man wore a brown wooly sweater and some faded holey, tattered jeans, and shining, clean, decent shoes. His huge, wide elephant feet were highly noticeable and made a lot of noise. He also had an old 1830's cowboy hat and an old semiautomatic revolver passed down from his great-great-great grandfather. The world had worn and torn him down, taught him tough, cruel and haunting lessons to remember, taught him to be cynical, miserable, and bitter… but most of all, to think that all humankind would become a pile of waste someday. He had been cheated, robbed, conned, betrayed, shot, left for dead, lost many colleagues to the merciless hands of fate, had his heart broken by the inconsiderate and cutthroat women of the world, and worst of all, having his own children shame his own name.

His life was nothing but tragedy after tragedy. There had been barely a moment in his life where he had a pure moment of happiness. The man looked upon the dancing crowd and felt the bittersweet tears well up in his eyes and his heart tore up into pieces. But he shook his head quickly and reminded himself to remain focused on his assignment. "Find me a good story, besides the 2008 elections, and you'll receive anything your heart desires. If not, you will be let go," his boss had said. The man then took out a cigarette box and then picked out a cigarette and lit it up. He then took a drag and then sank into his seat while smoke drifted from his cigarette.

Tess McNeal then happened to notice the man and then got curious. She then approached him slowly and carefully and then quietly sat down on the seat near him. The two adults looked at the fleeting window and the dancing shadows that served as natural entertainment. "Beautiful train isn't it?" remarked Tess McNeal. "The heck it is," mumbled the man bitterly. "Where are you heading?" questioned Tess McNeal. "Washington, D.C. I'm a'searching for a dang good story or my boss will lay me off," answered the man rather coolly. "A good story, huh? Perhaps you'll be lucky," replied Tess McNeal.

"Maybe. Never had much luck as it is," scoffed the man disbelievingly. "Well my life hasn't been exactly a bed of roses either," retorted Tess McNeal. "You're a tough lady. I like that," observed the man. "What's your name?" Tess McNeal continued to ask him. "My name is Abraham Hershel," answered the man. Tess McNeal chuckled. "You seem to be an Englishman. You look like a Frenchman but you act like a true Englishman," she teased lightly. "Well, I have been raised in England for much of my childhood. My father was a traveling diplomat who was stationed there for a number of years. Back then I thought life held a lot of promise. And now in my early 50's… I don't know what to do anymore," quoted Abraham Hershel.

"You still got some years left, old tiger. Don't you have some fire in you still?" flirted Tess McNeal seductively. "The fire in me has died out a long time ago, with years of pain, suffering, misery, betrayal, heartbreak, attempts on my life…" lamented Abraham Hershel sadly. "What happened?" asked Tess McNeal. "Why would a young woman like you want to know about the sad story of a disillusioned man?" berated Abraham Hershel. "Has a disillusioned man like you have some pride left?" shot back Tess McNeal. "Gold digger," hissed Abraham Hershel. "You have no manly pride left, do you?" growled Tess McNeal irked. Abraham Hershel then got up and then squeezed her neck and lifted her up to his face.

Tess McNeal gagged and gasped for air and was writhing in convulsions. She knew what was coming when Abraham went for her neck. In fact, Mick used to do this to her when he was angry and/or drunk. "You little wretched French girl. Soon your pain and suffering in this world will all be over once I squeeze the life out of you," boasted Abraham Hershel vaingloriously. "You have no idea who you're messing with, buster," admonished Tess McNeal while choking. Just then, the elderly investigative journalist was surrounded by cold, damp mist and was also blinded. The misty smoke was so thick that he didn't see Tess McNeal disappear into midair. Then, without warning, he was soon entombed into a frozen, icy statue.

When Tess McNeal got back to her team, they were congregated into a group. She then started to wonder what was going on, and then flew up in the air. As she glided a short distance, a woven wooden oak basket down below caught her eye and she decided to investigate. Tess McNeal then slowly hovered to the ground and then squatted in front of the basket.

Poodles was sniffing the basket's scent and was observing five lion cubs that lay in there sleeping. One was white, another one was maroon/red, another one was midnight blue, another one was periwinkle, and the fifth one was somewhere between yellow and orange and had a light pink nose. Her ears wiggled and flapped as she slept and her nose wrinkled and crinkled and finally she awoke from her slumber. That was when Tess McNeal was taken aback. Her eyes were gold and her irises were light green and she had distinct, bold eyebrows shaped like a sloping U. What was even more shocking was that she seemed to resemble Simba.

"Wait a minute, whose cubs are those?" asked Cera. "Me have no idea," replied Petrie. "Yeah, that's a very good question," added Littlefoot. "When did you guys found this basket?" demanded Tess McNeal. "Just now. Paul almost bowled out of the train from tripping over it," answered May. "Yeah, sorry," apologized Paul Swimmerton. "Guys, we have to find the mother. Who knows if she's still even around," announced Adult Nala.

All of a sudden the train jolted and shook in earthquake strength as it was being sucked into an unknown dimension. Henry Rosenberg then looked out of the window. "Ah, fuck! We have just landed into a time warp section heading into an unknown zone called The Hurricane Space Zone. If this gets really bad, we could end up in another time period in Washington, D.C.!" he complained. "Or worse," breathed May in trepidation. "Everyone, let's make sure that basket does not end up lost in The Hurricane Space Zone, okay? Now, who's going to volunteer to look after the cubs?" commanded Rhonda. "Don't worry, Rhonda. Cliff and I will look after the cubs," volunteered Buddy. "Ah, thanks a lot Buddy. Now we have to baby sit for newborns," groused Cliff. "Anything for community service," piped in Buddy cheerfully.

Cliff and Buddy were roosted on the basket handle hanging upside down in a batty matter. This was the very behavior that their parents before them had practiced and was innate. It was one of the natural instincts that fingerbirds had followed over the years, and they use this behavior whenever a fingerling was sleeping below them. They also sleep this way. "Jeez, Buddy. How long are they going to sleep?" squawked Cliff impatiently. "Don't worry, Cliff. Patience will pay off somehow, someway," Buddy reassured her friend. Then Cliff and Buddy started singing, "Enough is Enough." They swayed to and fro and danced while keeping their voices low and managing to turn the song into one harmonious melody. Some of the cubs were rolling over and even the female newborn cub made a swipe with her paw.

"Will you shut up? They're sleeping!" barked Princess Debra. "Sorry," chorused Cliff and Buddy. "Well you better," scolded Princess Debra, upset. "Good Lord! You actually do that?" exclaimed Angela Lansing. "Yep. I know it seems weird, but yeah we do it," answered Cliff while shrugging. The tiny female cub then started mewing and flipped onto her chest. She then started nosing around while crawling barely two inches. "Oh no. No you are not going anywhere, little missy!" shouted Buddy and then swooped down and then grabbed the cub by the neck. She then flew up high, causing the little kitten to mew constantly and hysterically.

"Buddy, what are you doing?" cried Cliff, frightened and terrified. "Put down that kid right now!" ordered Lena Rosenberg. "Oh yeah? Are you gonna make me?" challenged Buddy defiantly while in a muffled voice. "Uh oh. You really shouldn't have done that," said Bob Newton. "You are in really deep shit, you know that?" retorted Suzanne Carmichael. Lena Rosenberg then lunged for the cub and grabbed her legs. Now she and Buddy were engaged in a dangerous, delicate and fragile tug of war. "Are you nuts? You're going to rip her to shreds! She'll be a bloody mess!" screeched Zira while exploding. The little cub then bit Buddy's wing and then the teenage fingerbird yelled in agony and pain. "YEEOUCH!" cried Buddy and then soon the cub was in Lena's clutches. "That was way too easy for my taste," she commented.

The lioness cub mewed once more. "That's all you can do? Mew?" Lena Rosenberg retorted to the cub. "Mew," was the cub's reply. "Well, you look like you're from Finland," said Lena Rosenberg with a smirk. "Mew," answered the cub while grinning back. That stumped the veteran hotelier and she paled rapidly. Eva Granger giggled. Suzanne Carmichael snickered. Zira was quickly breaking into laughter. "Okay, genius. What's your excuse?" growled Lena Rosenberg.

"Arroz con leche en Washington, D.C. y Mexico!" squeaked the cub. "What is this?" interrogated Paul Swimmerton. "This kid didn't even have arroz con leche!" protested May. "Hilary Clinton ist ein Weibchen und sie verkaufen LSD in Texas," chimed the young lioness cub. "Since when do they sell LSD in Texas?" demanded Nikki. "Duh, they sell drugs anywhere!" retorted Angelo. "L'hourra pour Selena!" cheered the little kitten while giggling. "Any comments for me?" asked Nuka boastfully.

Then, everyone on board felt a powerful of gravity dragging down upon them as the train was falling down towards the ground and was now rotating in a tailspin. "Are we out of The Hurricane Space Zone yet?" questioned Benny Crawford. "Does it look like it to you we are?" snapped Jeanette Paris while clouting her in the chest. "May Day! May Day! We're about to have a violent landing! Everyone stay where you are and let's just hope we all don't perish!" announced the train conductor. Just then the cubs were soaring and flying all over the train with outstretched claws and legs and with high pitched squeaks and howls and hisses.

Laura Perkins tumbled towards a window and with her legs pushed herself away from it and then rebounded on a wall. Stitch positioned himself on a wall and then Laura crashed onto it and then turned to face him. "Hello, Stitch. How are you fairing?" she inquired him. "Okay," Stitch said while making a circle with his index finger and thumb. "Tom, I'm afraid this is it. I'm afraid we won't survive the crash," Suzanne informed her husband. "Are you saying we're all going to die?" interrupted Rhonda. "Looks like it. However, let's all stay calm, shall we?" answered Suzanne. "I cannot think of a better way to die than to die with my team right beside me under terrifying and perilous circumstances," Rhonda admitted.

Right when she said it, she then started to imagine the explicit and disturbing carnage, with the train broken and split apart into pieces and with multiple bloodied bodies scattered and lying on the ground lifeless. Her face whitened at that very thought. But then the blue jay that had been near fatally injured not too long ago suddenly materializes in front of the train and then starts to sing a tenor opera song. At that moment in time, time itself started to slow down. "Oh my God. Time is actually slacking," murmured Vitani to herself.

The train seemed to be inching closer and closer to land, but not as fast as it was moments before. "Yes!" shouted Courage victoriously. "That's awesome!" cried Adult Nala. "Very impressive," added Adult Kovu while chuckling. But then the train was dematerializing right before their eyes and soon Rhonda and the Legacy were ejected out of it. The train then exploded into a huge fireball and the train conductor soared 100 miles an hour into Las Vegas in flames. Motherfucking shit!" he roared.

For Zira, she could now see some flashbacks from her past, about falling off a cliff into the cold, deep river currents. She then screamed so loudly that it rang in everyone's ears. Yubaba scanned the sandy grounds for any signs of life, and without warning, a blur of yellow fur, malevolent, dark, vicious, cold, insane, callous eyes, and dark brown claws lunged at her, and everything dimmed dark.

**Translation:**

Arroz con leche en Washington, D.C. y Mexico!: Rice pudding in Washington, D.C. and Mexico!

L'hourra pour Selena!: The cheering for Selena!


	4. A Shedevil Clad In Gold

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay! I know I haven't updated this story in a LONG TIME but it's because I've been having problems with my USB and it kind of crapped out. However, I managed to have most of my stuff saved in a separate hard drive, which is great. I decided that I might as well update some of my old stories here whenever I can and ****bring in some new chapters that I already did. For these fanfictions and a couple of others I already written several chapters but I have not finished these stories yet. **

**Here's the summary for this chapter****: Rhonda and her team come to in the middle of Death Valley and they meet up with a young lioness cub named Winda; however, she proves to be a very fierce and intimidating foe and they also learn her direct connections to Zalira. They also must contend with several of her Tsavo minions, especially when Lena gets separated from her dog, Poodles. As for Winda, I was kind of afraid that I made her too similar to Vitani in physical terms and I tried really hard to make her really distinct from her; however, her personality is completely different from her thankfully. I think I did okay with her physical description and now reading back on this I think I did a very good job, especially with the carrot-colored nose. Believe me, you haven't seen the last of Winda; she gets a lot worse as this story progresses. And you'll see Mr. Piano in the next chapter also.  
**

**Read and review!  
**

**_Chapter 3: A She-devil Clad In Gold_**

"**H**a, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You think you can defeat me, Team Legacy? Think again!" declared a hoarse, scratchy, raspy voice. Yubaba then came back into consciousness and then found herself stranded in the middle of Death Valley. The sun was high in the sky as vultures and buzzards circled it. Mice, jackrabbits, and desert owls lurked nearby, minding their own business. Yubaba attempted to get up but was struck with severe pain in her torso. She then looked down to see that there was a bloody hole on her clothes and gave out a scream. Lena Rosenberg was clearly dazed and stars were swirling in her eyes. Courage, who had brain matter bumps coming out of his head and blood coming out his mouth and nose, gave out a hyena-like laugh. Tsavo lions were jeering and deriding the heroes and were yelping with chuckles, snickers and laughs.

"Wow. That was a heck of a crash," commented one Tsavo lion. "You said it," agreed his companion. "Those assholes were dropping down in midair like a collage of stars. They were on fire, man. They were burning meteors about to collide with the desert sands. It was almost as if you saw a spaceship combusting into flames during reentry," chattered another Tsavo lion. Henry Rosenberg was eavesdropping on the conversational banter while he feigned death. His eyes were closed and he made his body so still it was as if he was actually dead.

Then the Tsavo lions dashed to their positions in military formation as a young lioness cub ambled along them. This cub had woman-like eyes that were very intense, sensual, emotional and alert and were also bold and effeminate. These eyes also had only two car window wiper eyelashes each, one on the top and the other on the bottom. These eyelashes were mere bold, straight, short lines and were constructed as if a person was just starting to draw. The lioness also had a unibrow, which was also bold and exaggerated.

She also had wavy tufts of yellow hair on her head and her eye color was amber. Her nose was slightly short, narrow, and pointy, and her cheekbones were high too. The young lioness was no more than 4"7, and was nearing 11 years of age. Along with her short turtleneck, she also had broad, widening shoulders and her legs were lanky yet powerful. Her nose was as orange as a carrot, so she had earned the nickname, "Carrotface," which she disliked greatly. Although she was small, her domineering and nasty persona caused those around her to be very apprehensive and fearful. Her name was also Winda. "Hey Winda. What are we going to do with those people lying in the sand?" asked the former Tsavo lion. "Throw them into the Sierra Nevada and let them die. Mother doesn't want anyone interfering with her machinations," Winda answered coolly and crisply. Zira, who was lying on her right side, froze. She was terrified of what might happen next.

Just then Winda happened to notice the periwinkle cub. She was rocking on her back while making swipes with her paws. Winda then smirked as her eyes glowed sinisterly. "Hello there, princess. Aren't you a cute little squirt?" she purred as she approached the little kitten. May was watching her every move. She bit her lip and felt very helpless as she painfully witnessed Winda inching closer to the cub. Soon she couldn't take it anymore. May then jumped from where she was lying and then blocked Winda from the periwinkle cub. "Don't you dare touch her!" she hissed warningly. Winda then quickly stood up and her fur actually became frizzled and wild as she prepared to launch her attack. Her claws were bared and her teeth and fangs showed. But then Poodles pounced in for the battle. He growled fiercely and glowered at Winda. Winda snarled and growled back.

Then, she made her first move by tackling the Shih-Tzu and assaulting and badgering him with slashes and pawing. Poodles fought back by clouting and punching Winda in the face. He then bit her in the muzzle and then smacked her across the face. Winda then performed a leg sweep and a swift kick that nailed him to the ground. Then, as he got to his feet, he made a glance at Winda and then dashed off, with the evil lioness at his tail. Winda was speeding at 200 miles per hour, and Poodles was trying to go ahead of her. The Tsavo lions were just sitting there, watching the race.

"Man! That dog sure can run fast!" exclaimed one of the Tsavo lions. "Yeah! I'll bet on that dog any day!" bragged another one of the Tsavo lions. This was the one opportunity Zira was looking for. She then shook the sand off her fur and then crept up to the lions with stealth and silence. Vitani then also took the time to go in the other direction and also was sneaking up behind the lions. May just stood there, paralyzed, and with her arms clasped around the periwinkle cub.

Lena fumed indignantly. "No one is going anywhere until we find Poodles!" she declared. "Where can we find him? Poodles could be anywhere by now!" pointed out Paul Swimmerton. "Lena, if we're going to find him, we might have to get out of here. Besides, if we stick around for too long, Winda is going to come back and murder us all," Rhonda contended. Just then, Poodles was scurrying back to Team Legacy, with Winda lunging at him. "NOW!" screamed Lena. Zira and Vitani then ambushed the Tsavo lions and battled them.

Vitani wrestled with two of the males to the ground and sunk her teeth into their throats and then slashed their bellies wide open. Zira, meanwhile, fought tooth and nail literally with an experienced fighter Tsavo male. They rolled in the ground and the Tsavo male went for her neck and pinned her there. Zira could not move. Winda smashed into Poodles and then tumbled with him in the sand before standing on top of him, with drool seeping out of her mouth. Poodles was trembling and he started to whine.

Lena finally had enough. She then morphed into a lioness and then charged at Winda. She then slammed the young lioness on her back and then raised her claw while it radiated in the light. Winda then managed to attempt a pounce and then slapped Lena twice in the face before kicking her in the head. In retaliation, Lena grabbed Winda by the neck and then tossed her into the air. She then gave Winda a punishing swift blow to the face before sending her flying into a cactus. As soon as Winda landed on the cactus, she gave a loud yell before catapulting back into the air and then landing right in front of Adult Simba.

"Well, that takes care of that," he said with a slight smile. "Where can we go now? We have no vehicle, we have no way of reaching Washington, D.C., and with the train exploding and all…" complained Debra Messenger. "I think we got somebody who can help us," interrupted Adult Nala, who was pointing to an approaching stranger. The stranger then emerged from the shadows and then materialized in the bright, glaring light. A flash of light was cast upon his countenance and Tess McNeal recognized him.

It was Abraham Hershel! "Holy shit! He survived the crash?" shouted Nuka, surprised. "Abraham!" screeched Tess McNeal, who ran to him and trapped him in an embrace. "Hey there, Tess. I was just about worried about ya," said Abraham Hershel in an uncharacteristic sunny matter. "Abraham, is there any way we could get to Washington, D.C.?" Tess McNeal asked him. "Well, I do have a 1975 Delta Arizona racing car convertible. It is very old and the paintings are faded and rough and there are some mechanical problems, including with the damn gas, but other than that it should work," Abraham Hershel said in reply. "(Chuckling) Did you hear that, Pumbaa? That old mook has a racing car!" Timon joked to Pumbaa. Abraham Hershel whistled and then the 1975 Delta Arizona came buzzing right in. It was a 100-foot roller coaster; with the words "'75 Delta Arizona" painted royal blue on both sides. The seats were tightly firm and were made of brown fur fabric from brown bear. The interior and exterior was painted midnight blue.

The tailgates and headlights were lightning bolt lamps that gave off red/blue light, and the fenders on the front and back were royal blue as well. However, rust was starting to show, and the mirrors were crumbling into pieces. But instead of a steering wheel, there was a golden joystick. You have to spin it in order for the car to move. The directions are also simple. If you tip the joystick to the north, it goes straight or advances speed if you're pushing on the brakes. If you tip it to the left or right, it goes west and east. If you tip the joystick to the south, it turns back or goes slowly if you press the brakes. Soon everyone got into the car, with the cubs and blue jay in hand, and with Winda in an experiment container. "What? I thought we might catch an experiment on the way," Thomas Carmichael tried to explain while his wife gave him a dirty look.

"If you do not let me out right now, I'll rip your heads to shreds!" threatened Winda nastily. "We're going to find her mother and tell her what a horrible child she is," Suzanne informed her husband. "If we find her," replied Thomas Carmichael. "Enough chitchat and let's head to D.C.," snapped Abraham Hershel crankily and then he ignited the engine. The car kicked and roared before dashing off into the depths of the desert. "My mother is the boss of an entire corporation," Winda told everyone haughtily. "Oh really? What does she do?" inquired Kate Seymour. "She is the director of an elite police force, importer of priceless jewels and gems, breeder of animals, weaponry manufacturer, and also she runs an adoption agency. She also owns a laboratory where aliens and superheroes are created," explained Winda. "Does she supervise anything else?" asked John Milton.

"Well, she also works on engineering a living organism's DNA in order to alter it and make some significant improvements. My mother is also making a study on biological weapons, and she also keeps them in a laboratory, in a place where no one can access them but her. She also makes studies about space and she designs state-of-the-art technology in preparation for future colonization of far away planets," Winda added. "Where does your mother live?" questioned Sarabi. "She lives in Washington, D.C., in one of the richest neighborhoods in the country," answered Winda. "And that is?" scoffed Adult Kovu. "Potomac," was Winda's reply. And as the 1975 Delta Arizona drove on, Winda mentioned one more thing. "Oh, and by the way, you get to sleep in the penthouse if by any chance you decide to stay in our area," she added.


	5. Meeting Up With Mr Piano

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, here's another chapter! This goes in depth to the condition of the penthouse Rhonda and the gang visit and they come face to face with Mr. Piano for the very first time; however, they also meet his female, elderly, crochety assistant named Mrs. Vright, with whom Rhonda has a very difficult and strained relationship. It turns out that Mrs. Vright tends to act harshly and mercilessly towards Rhonda and she would hand down severe punishments whenever any of Rhonda's faults cause her to get out of line. This chapter also explores Mr. Piano's personality in length and also reviews many of his outrageous and radical views towards today's modern society, views that are no longer accepted; these ideas also range from very misogynistic to bordering on racist, xenophobic and even has some hints on some favoritism towards pedophilia, especially on boys and girls growing up to be pimps and prostitutes. **

**It wasn't until just now that I just caught another great example of Mr. Piano's pedophiliac tendencies and I am disturbed at how twisted and monstrous his ideas are now. He also seems to be a very ambitious and power-hungry man who will stop at nothing to gain one of the highest positions in the American government, even if he has to use some underhanded means. Mr. Piano also seems to hold great disdain and contempt for his rivals and will fight hell to keep his business running. Not to mention that he is still hell bent on taking Rhonda's hand in marriage and making her his bride; talk about sick. You will also get to meet his young son Payton, who is a very frightened and timid boy with AIDS and who is verbally, emotionally, mentally and physically abused by his own father, (you'll see how later in this chapter), and later on in this story you'll find out what happened to his mother.**

**Rhonda and the team soon grow very attached to young Payton and are very determined to do whatever it takes to protect him from his own father. I dread to think what will happen if Mr. Piano had managed to successfully impose his views on American society and put his plans into motion; it would be chaos! I think a reappearance by this dastardly devil is in order but I have not yet come up with a good story line for that.**

********WARNING: Some mature and disturbing themes might appear in this chapter, including pedophilia and verbal and physical child abuse so be warned*****  
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**Read and review!  
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**_Chapter 4: Meeting Up With Mr. Piano_**

**7**5 miles away from Washington, D.C., a man was standing in front of an old, broken down, decadent, dismal penthouse. The windows were cracked and glazy; chunks of the building kept on falling apart, and to make matters worse there was no working electricity and only one working toilet. The apartment rooms in the home were covered with spider comb webs, dusty, and had hardened excrement and waste all over the furniture. The closets are often piled up with clothes and outfits that smell like horse manure. The bathrooms also smell like rotting corpses. The bloodstained bed sheets were a very disturbing sight, and the bed itself was chopped up into two and its framework was breaking down.

There were dogs that were malnourished and stricken with ugly blisters and granger. Dried blood was accumulated in their noses and their breathing was wheezy and labored. They were so famished and starved that their ribs were poking out. Burn marks were branded on their necks and pink patches of missing fur were being exposed for infection and disease. Mucus was built up in their eyes and their eyes were bright pink with tears. The oppressed dogs struggled to survive in the penthouse as their companions die from starvation, illness, infections and malnourishment one by one. They howled their mournful songs and cries as their raw hearts broke and bled and as the tears cascaded from their eyes.

The 1975 Delta Arizona then pulled up to the unpaved driveway and stopped. The Legacy then poised themselves to hear the pitiful cries of the dogs. "SH! You hear that? Those are dogs," Abraham Hershel informed everyone. "We know that, Abraham," retorted Suzanne Carmichael. "Look! Who's that guy over there?" shouted Thomas Carmichael, pointing to the man standing in front of the penthouse. Karen peered at the man curiously. Surdy transformed into a black, milky, medium telescope and then Lois Whitley looked through him to examine the stranger.

The man was 5'4 feet tall, with a gruff and snide expression, a short, black, bushy moustache, chocolate brown, ghoulish, dastardly, insanely jealous and bitter, contemptuous, wrathful eyes, ironclad fists that meant business, and with an intimidating pose that can stare people down and make others feel small. He wore an expensive tuxedo with a stylish flamboyant white polka dot black bowtie and a rakish white polka dot bowler hat with a white band on it.

On his right wrist was a silver watch that ticked so loudly you can hear it faintly in the air. He also wore extra large Wellington boots and had a burning cigar lingering in his left hand. On his face were deep rimmed and wide glass transitional spectacles with golden frames. His high cheekbones were just below his eyes and he resembled the younger vision of Theodore Roosevelt, except that he had Alice blue sideburns. His assistant then came walking up to him. She was gawky and lanky, with beady, sullen, disapproving, icy, purple eyes, twiggy arms and legs, frumpy and fatty face, shriveled and crooked nose, and with a slouching back. Her radiant, glowing blue veins were marked all over her body, except her face. Her hairy, arching, puffy, wild, conspicuous eyebrows stood out of all of her features. When she opened her mouth there were almost no teeth; there was only one golden tooth.

"Those damned kids! What are they doing here?" she harked in her raspy, whispery British accented voice. "Hush now, Mrs. Vright. I was expecting Miss Rhonda," the man whispered soothingly. "Ah, yes. That little runt. She never did anything right. Always losing stuff and poking into people's business. I disciplined that little brat whenever I could. Let's see if her teenage years had made improvements to her character. I hear that the high school she goes to is supposed to be good," Mrs. Vright rambled. Rhonda then immediately turned her attention to Mrs. Vright and then squinted her eyes knowingly. _Mrs. Vright… She always tried to do everything possible to make my life miserable and to make me look bad by manipulating my worst faults to her advantage so she can brag to people what a lousy worker I am… _she thought.

Mrs. Vright then spotted Rhonda and then croaked. "It's that rotten little girl! Mr. Piano, throw her into the Punishment Area!" she yelled. "My dear Mrs. Vright. There is no reason to chastise this young vixen. Invite her and her entourage into the penthouse, hmm?" explained Mr. Piano eloquently. Rhonda and the Legacy exited the car with Abraham Hershel and then Mr. Piano and Mrs. Vright led them into the penthouse. As the crew toured through the house, the low quality and poor craftsmanship and house care was evident. The furniture and antique pieces were worn down and destroyed. A large percentage of the floor was eaten away by termites and chunks of the roof lay to waste. Some of the drawers were either rendered useless or missing. Paper balls were littered around and smoldering embers were lingering on the wooden floor. Black urine dripped from the boards that supported the roof, making it apparent that someone – or something – was suffering from kidney failure.

"Hello, this is Rhonda Sarah Petrie, leader of Team Legacy. We are inside a penthouse located on a roadside just 75 miles from Washington, D.C. The room we are in is in very poor condition. It has paper balls scattered promiscuously on the floor and some of the drawers are either unusable or just disappeared. There are little embers still burning but barely. The roof is crumbling apart and there is a large hole in the floor because of termites. And a drop of warm black urine has just dropped into my hair. And the walls are also partly charred from previous firestorms or lightning strikes. And I also could smell horse crap coming in from a closet. I'm sorry, Judge Trudy, but this is really, really, really disgusting. Anyways, Mr. Piano has an assistant named Mrs. Vright, who used to terrorize me with her disciplinary methods such as making me write 100 times "I will not…" what stupid thing I did and with verbal abuse."

"She called me a stupid, spoiled, immature little brat and also said to me that a person my size and with my background will not amount to much. She also made fun of my glasses and also nicknamed me "Dorky Girl." She also used to make me do something over and over again until I got it right, even if I have to skip out on meals and stay up until midnight. Mrs. Vright even made me do stuff that I have no clue on what to do, and if I screwed up, which was most of the time, she would fume and shout and scream and yell and berate and criticize me and dump me into the Punishment Area and make me sit in the exact center of the room and I have to be quiet, stay still, and look straight at the mirror wall."

"The Punishment Area consists of a steeled screen door with a paddle lock on it and the interior has a variety of toys, books, and exercise equipment for people who want to exercise and for employees who want to put their kids in the Punishment Area for daycare service. There are building blocks, sleeping mats, a sink, a bathroom with double doors each reserved for boys and girls, three computers, stuffed animals, playhouses, and a miniature playground which is composed of twisting and straight slides, swings, a ball pool, ladders, and a pole designed for sliding down."

"It also has sets of spinning blocks that depict different pictures and also has letters, numbers, and images of animals. I would sit in the center spot for hours at a time, sometimes up to the time I was supposed to leave. The sign that tells me when I'll be allowed to be dismissed from the Punishment Area is the ringing of a hanging school bell that is adjourned to the screened door. The funny thing about the mirror wall is that if I stare at myself for an extended period of time, I can actually hypnotize myself and black out. There were also times when Mrs. Vright made me answer random questions in 5 seconds and if I fail to do so, I have to write 100 lines in the teaching room upstairs. She is also disgusted by my naïve mannerisms and by my kind and friendly manner and my tendency to be cowardly. When you think about it, it's almost like she's trying to turn me into evil or something. In fact, she hated everything about me."

"On cleaning days she would warn me if the shop wasn't spotless clean by lunchtime, she would have Mr. Piano do whatever he had in mind at that point and time. Well, this is it for this session. I think Mrs. Vright is watching me very closely so she can find an excuse to send me to the Punishment Area again," Rhonda quoted in the recording tape. She then slipped the tape to John Milton and then whispered by the side of her mouth, "Keep it safe and don't let anyone confiscate it from you." "What was that, bitch?" swore Mrs. Vright after turning her head towards them.

"Oh! Nothing Mrs. Vright. John was telling me a really funny joke, that's all. (Clears her throat) What did the alligator eat for his breakfast? A crock of dill sandwich! (Laughing maniacally)," Rhonda answered. May's face blanched and her eyes shrunk with disbelief while everyone looked at each other anxiously. "Hey, guys! How about this joke?" proposed Lena. Poodles snorted and cocked his ear to the side. "What does a donkey say to his burden? Hey, get off my ass!" she swore and chortled at the same time.

Most of the team started laughing. Timon slapped his knees three times while Pumbaa was lying on his back and couldn't stop laughing. Mrs. Vright was livid with her jaw dropped and Mr. Piano had to fiddle with his shirt collar in nervousness. Jane Walters was shifting her feet to and fro. Zira was banging her fists on the wooden floor while Suzanne's sides were hurting so much from laughing and she had to bend down. Ferdinand went around in circles while honking and choking in laughter. Judith Beasley was blushing a little. Grace was breaking into tears from so much laughter. Jack was cracking up so much that he had to cough a couple of times. Will was giggling while Karen was roaring and cachinnating with laughter. Sophia Lopez and Anne Margaret were chuckling while Jack Lennon and Walter Matthews were giving each other high fives and howling.

Finally Mr. Piano made a loud whistle that stopped everyone dead in their tracks and then he beckoned them to climb upstairs. So the whole entire gang began to ascend up the stairs, and they had just gone up four steps when Sophia Lopez slipped and fell on her elbow. Diane Bernstein and Mary Kate Leningrad helped her on her feet and then Sophia went to take a look at her elbow. It was bloody and scabby. The veteran Italian actress gasped with horror. "Don't panic, ma'am. I got the essentials for that injury," Abraham Hershel reassured her and then he took out his First Aid kit and rummaged through it. He then took out a roll of tape and then ripped out a long piece. Abraham Hershel then held Sophia's elbow while he strung the long piece of tape around her joint and then secured it in place. The Legacy then breathed a sigh of relief.

Sophia then turned her gaze to Abraham Hershel and then beamed. "Thank you, Mr. Hershel. That really helped," she thanked him graciously. "Anything I can do, I'll be happy to help," tooted Abraham Hershel confidentially. "Okay, you simpletons. Let's go to the master bedroom that is the highest room in the penthouse," cut in Mrs. Vright as they kept on going up the stairs. The stairs was a long, endless spiral and the steps themselves were unstable and loose. Every time the heroes and their hosts got to a floor, there was a long, shadowy, lightless hallway with rooms side by side and across from each other and one or two gargoyles would lurk in the widespread darkness. Other times in other floors dogs would peek out from the shadows and scratch themselves and lick their dry muzzles while they gazed at the mysterious strangers who were being given a tour to their shoddy home.

There were also faint sounds of whimpers and whines, for Mr. Piano hated loud noises because they aggravate and irritate him easily and it also gives him a lot of stress, especially since he had to deal with aloof and snotty customers and with the mammoth pressures of running a shop in the capital of the United States of America that result from power hungry businessmen and foreign dealers that threaten to put him out of business. Winda's mother was not the only person who ran the penthouse; he was also the co-owner of the building as well, and he is also the official landlord.

"Humph! Those idiotic politicians and businessmen! They think they can solve America's problems with their master plans and ideals. What is the point of democracy if nothing is ever solved?" he muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, Rhonda overheard his remark and instantly knew the answer to that question. "Because in this type of government we are given a chance to live our lives as we see fit and we have to take what we are given. There will always be periods of recessions and booms; we just have to learn how to deal with them," she explained to Mr. Piano.

Mr. Piano was seething with brewing anger as he slowly switched his focus to the young teenager. He hated teenagers and kids who have a great understanding of complex topics. He also felt that adults were the ones who should be able to answer those kinds of questions. To Mr. Piano, the 21st century had unbalanced the traditional roles of nature. Men were supposed to be strong, and women were supposed to be weak. Men were supposed to have no feelings and women were supposed to be overly emotional. Men were supposed to be dominant and women were supposed to be subversive to their male peers.

Members of an ethnic group were supposed to stay and be loyal to their own people and live independently from other ethnic groups. That includes marrying someone that has the same background as them and having ethnically and racially pure children. Cities should be specially designed for people who belong to a particular race, nationality, ethnic background, or social group/background.

In actuality, Mr. Piano envisioned an America where everyone was once more segregated and living amongst themselves apart from everyone else and where women and men follow their traditional roles. He dreamed of women once more being slaves to their husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles and sons, and of being dutiful homemakers and housewives. He dreamed of children once more working in industries and fields and of child labor laws being repealed and revoked. He dreamed of child marriages and the foundation of kiddie porn camps where boys and girls are trained to be pimps and prostitutes.

He dreamed of the day where AIDS will be a complete epidemic and where most people will be very ill with the disease. He wished for the day that family friendly companies such as Disney became increasingly more adult until its monstrous transformation is finished. Mr. Piano longed for implemented laws that will require prisoners to fight each other in boxing-style matches on certain holidays, such as President's Day and Cinco de Mayo and for auditorium stadiums to be built for that purpose.

He yearned for drugs to be rendered legal so that anyone will have unlimited access to them without a hint of guilt. Mr. Piano couldn't wait for the day that the school system will have absolute control over students' lives, including their social lives, and allow the teachers to fail them at the slightest whim. He muses over disabling parental rights when their children are born and sending them to government houses in Washington, D.C. to live out their lives. Mr. Piano giggled with glee about the legalization of paid assassins to take out political opponents and to eliminate political parties altogether.

He also leered over permitting national Anti-Semitism in the country. Mr. Piano also thought of orphans attending military school and being trained to fight and kill foreign enemies without any thought of mercy or remorse, Spartan style. And worse of all, Mr. Piano had decided that he could set his plan in motion by taking advantage of the volatile and deceptive nature of politics and bid for the role of Senator. He was going to attempt to break into the Senate so that he could dupe and charm his fellow men by sympathizing with their ideals and gaining trust of the general public.

Mr. Piano was a natural Democrat, so he might as well try to run for the Senate and try to convince the Democratic Party, particularly Osama Berlin and Holly Camden, that he was on their side and he has the means necessary to aid them in their presidential campaign. He was even intending to make the political race even uglier than it has to by spreading rumors about all of the candidates available and pitting them against each other. Once the presidential race gets chaotic, he will have Winda's mother hack into the national security system and rig the primaries and of course come November the final electoral votes. Once it appears that everyone is tied, Mr. Piano will steal the entire votes from everyone and win by a devastating landslide. When four years roll by, HE will run for president and depending on what machinations he had devised during that period, he will use them to snag the role of President and right then will he launch his master plan for the United States of America.

Mr. Piano then looked from side to side and then revealed the most vile and despicable smirk in the world. Finally they got to the top floor and then ambled through the hallway. "This penthouse used to be a grand hotel many, many, many years ago. The hotel manager was a very generous and gracious woman. She let her employees sleep in the rooms normally reserved for guests and also let them eat in the barroom, which is now boarded up. She also gave her guests the same exact treatment and she always looked out for them. If there happened to be a terrible accident at any part of the hotel, she would call 911 right on the spot and assist that person any way she could. She also participated in many charity galas and parties and also gave money for good causes, such as cancer. But eventually she got old and had to resign. But one day she had a bad fall on the stairs you had just climbed up and banged her head very hard, causing a brain hemorrhage, dying right on the spot. She was only 93-years-old."

"The hotel eventually languished from negligence and was converted into a nasty penthouse for local drug dealers, thugs, thieves, con artists, fugitives, and orphans. And as for the rooms in the house, they are chained up as well but for some reason those mangy mutts manage to slip in. You are forbidden from ever setting foot on them, for they are off limits. This penthouse is merely nothing anyhow. The master bedroom is the only accessible room in the building. It was also converted into an attic. Its contents are a Siberian tiger rug, a cupboard and a refrigerator, a lantern, an empty fireplace, a mattress, a picnic blanket and basket filled with some items, and of course some stuffed animals. There is a treasure box containing blankets and pillows and nothing more. There is a mosaic oval window that depicts a picture of an Alkonost. On a hook stuck to a wall is a dark blue rosary," revealed Mr. Piano.

"Wow. This room really needs work," breathed Simba as they entered the master bedroom. "I'll say," replied Nala. "Are the cubs here?" asked Ariel. "Yes, Ariel. And boy, aren't they as cute as ever?" answered John as he ushered in the yellowish-orange cub, the maroon/red cub, and the periwinkle cub. Zira carried the midnight blue cub with her jaws grasped on his neck. Maria was strolling in while cradling the white cub in her arms. The blue jay glided in through the doorway and then floated onto the ground while tweeting. "Wow. Nice work, Mark," Dr. Rachel Walters praised him. "Thank you, Rachel," accepted Dr. Sloan graciously. "Yeah, he seems to be healing nicely," noted Audrey Marlin.

Aunt Voula was surveying the master room. "This room needs refurnishing, and we got to construct a bed for this mattress. It conveys an appearance of some bum living here," she declared. "First of all, where are we going to get paints for this room? And what about bed materials?" pointed out Suzanne. "Do you have any bright ideas?" snapped Aunt Voula, looking at her straight in the eye.

Pilar then trotted to the picnic basket that Mr. Piano had described and then lifted its lid. No sooner than she had opened the contents that snakes, cockroaches, mosquitoes, flies, lizards, lions, tigers, panthers, cougars, owls, rats, mice, alligators, crocodiles, gorillas, orangutans dressed like Rambo and armed with machetes and AK 47s and flare guns, and Dobermans flowed out of the picnic basket and then lined up in formation and then stared down the team. "Holy crap! What the fucking hell is this?" Peter yelled at the top of his lungs. "Oh no! This is not happening! This is not happening!" panicked Bob Newton. The animals then took out axes and sabers and then pointed their weapons at the team.

Mr. Piano was outraged, but Mrs. Vright was scared out of her wits. "My Lord! What is this abomination?" she cried. "Don't worry, Sue Ellen. I'll handle this," Mr. Piano reassured her with wrath heating up inside him. He then quickly morphed into a grand old black and white piano! Rhonda's breathing quickened and her stomach tightened. She recognized that form, although she never learned how or why Mr. Piano gained the ability to transform into a piano in the first place.

Mr. Piano then started to play "Hungarian Dances No 5" and then gargoyles that were being decorated all over the house started to come alive and then fluttered into the master bedroom. One of them collided into Bob Newton and then he fell on his face flat on the floor. Abraham Hershel took photographs of the gargoyles as he went. The gargoyles then swooped down on the animals and then battled then fiercely. The smallest animals were instantly killed while the largest animals were effectively resisting the gargoyles. Finally the massive number of gargoyles overcame the larger animals and swiftly defeated them into a bloody, squishy pulp. Once the animals were killed the gargoyles then feasted on their newly created meal. Mr. Piano chuckled in a malicious matter as he changed back into human form. May was breaking into sobs as she tried to process the horrendous, grisly scene in her mind. "How could you? How could you, Mr. Piano? You're a monster!" she wept.

Mr. Piano then took out a lighter and a cigar and then lit up the cigar and smoked. "You who! Shadow, dearie! Come out; come out, wherever you are!" "Shadow? Who's Shadow?" May inquired quizzically. In a flash a black form whizzed by and then scampered up to Mrs. Vright. Mrs. Vright then picked up the creature and then was cooing over it. This creature was actually a black and white Havanese, with soft downy, smooth and frizzy fur, and with frilly, flat and small knotted ears. She also had big, wide, olive-like night eyes that had a hint of sapphire and maroon irises if you look closely. This dog was only 3 feet and 5 feet wide with a short, limply, leafy, feathery tail. Shadow seemed to be wet from some naval activity. Poodles glanced at Shadow and growled viciously. Claire von Blairstone's dog, Sherry, was one thing to deal with, but Mr. Piano's tiny, feisty and energetic heck of a dog was another story. Plus, the dog had a red bowtie tied around her neck and a ruby bowtie on top of her head and another red bowtie tied around her tail.

Poodles then lunged at Shadow and then Shadow made a huge jump over everyone. Using her feet, she then ricocheted on the wall and then leapt at the Shih-Tzu with her bare claws. "So, how long have you had that dog?" May questioned Mr. Piano. "I had her for 5 years. She came to me when she was merely two months old. That poor creature. Her mother got run over by a dog and her father was absent. She was taken to a local shelter and would have been put to sleep had I not intervened. Shadow is like the daughter I never had. She actually understands me," was Mr. Piano's answer.

"Wait, wait. What do you mean by, 'Shadow is like the daughter I never had'? Are you implying you might have a living son somewhere?" interrogated Emily Hartley. "DAMN!" swore Mr. Piano. "Of course I do, you meddling bitch! My son's name is Payton. I had an affair with one of my secretaries and she was impregnated with him. However, she left him with me after he was born. She was disgusted by how I had treated her and she also claimed I only used her for a sex slave and so I could get a male heir. Payton's just a young boy, mind you. He's only 7-years-old."

"So if I marry you, I'm going to be a stepmother to a 7-year-old?" retorted Rhonda, surprised. "Wait just a moment," added Mr. Piano, and then he walked up to a walkie-talkie hanging on a wall and then activated it. "PAYTON, PLEASE COME INTO THE FUCKING DAMN MASTER BEDROOM IMMEDIATELY OR YOU'LL BE SPANKED THOROUGHLY!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "FUCK YOU, YOU FUCKING DAMN GODDAMN ASSHOLE MOTHERFUCKING JERK-OFF!" roared Lena Rosenberg. A shaken young boy tiptoed into the room. He was trembling and quaking deeply and greatly and his lips were contorting into a frown. Rhonda was heartbroken and crestfallen for this boy.

The boy had a red dotted freckle face and twinkling, shy, pleading, teary eyes. He had a vulnerable and dejected deposition and he was no more than 4"5. Payton had clammy, sweaty doll-like hands and tiny mousy legs and feet. When his mouth opened, he had only one-buck tooth. His cheekbones were very low and he had a rounded face. His ears were shaped like those of a gray furred mouse and Payton also had salt and pepper, croppy, short, surfer hair.

The poor boy was a tiny, discontented, and frightened mouse being overshadowed by his towering and dominant father. His small, narrow nose had a medium sized bump on it and it disguised itself as a nasty, dreadful pimple. Rhonda was being so torn up by the boy's depressing presence that she wanted to run to him and hug him. To her, he was the most beautiful boy in the world, the kind of boy that goes to Sunday school every day and is obedient and always has a juicy apple to offer. Suddenly Hugo broke down and cried, and Laverne and Victor sobbed and wailed along with him. Emily Hartley was grinding in tears as well. Mr. Piano then glanced at his son. "Payton, I would like you to meet someone. I am intending to marry her as soon as possible. Young man, look to your north, for the woman you're about to meet is my former secretary," he told Payton in a gruff and business-like manner.

Payton then turned to his north and sighted Rhonda. "Papa," he uttered in his squeaky, growling voice, "She is no woman. She is a teenager." "Oh, but my dear boy. She is one of the finest girls in the country. She is a rare gem to look at," Mr. Piano attempted to persuade Payton. "I'm a lookin', Pa. I'm a lookin'," insisted Payton in his Cockney accent. Mr. Piano chortled quietly. Although his son's accent and voice amuses him to no end, he clandestinely thought that his voice was plain pathetic. He also desired his son to be as macho as possible. Mr. Piano then gave Payton a snide look and sneered at the same time. Payton started when he saw that. Rhonda then stepped up to face Mr. Piano. "You think you could get away with intimidating and bullying your son, but I won't let you!" she protested angrily. "Why don't you go forth and multiply, kid. Or should I have my assistant here lock you up in the Punishment Area again, hmm?" snarled Mr. Piano callously. "How about this? SCREW YOU, DANG YOU!" Rhonda howled.

"How about this, Mr. Piano? We refurnish your place and then that way you and your henchwoman could make millions from this penthouse. Guests could come in again," suggested Anne Margaret. "Yeah, we could call up someone to fix this dump," added John. "What do you say to that, Maria?" Max asked his wife. "I think it'll be wonderful. I think this penthouse is overdue for a makeover," Maria agreed. "Oh, John. I think this is an excellent idea," beamed Ariel. Mrs. Ragetti scoffed while making a hand gesture indicating that she could care less. "Does someone want to call Extreme Home Makeover or Divine Design?" inquired June Mathis. "June!" laughed Adult Kiara. "Kiara and I could paint," announced Kovu. "You're nuts," remarked Kiara, turning to Kovu. "Hello! I've been stuck in this stupid container forever!" interrupted Winda impatiently and Jeffrey Dodgers unlatched the container lid and then Winda slid out. She then circled around Kovu, making him nervous and anxious and unnerving Kiara at the same time.

"Hello, handsome face. The name is Winda Demur. I'm the daughter of a rich corporate boss and businesswoman. I'm also a 10-time champion of tennis and track. I can also paint. Would you like to be my hunting partner?" Winda introduced herself. "Uhh… I don't know, really," answered Kovu uncertainly. "You better not mess around with my son, or you'll have Sam Hill to pay," warned Zira threateningly as she approached Winda. "Oh, don't worry, Miss Zira. Kovu won't be harmed. In fact, I'll be taking him to see my mother," Winda assured her. "If I find out that Kovu is hurt or endangered in any way, I will pursue you and murder you, WITH MY BARE NAKED CLAWS!" offered Zira, enraged.

Then suddenly, Zira charged at Winda, with hate and anger consuming and blinding her. Winda then bounded into the air and then kicked the bigger adult lioness twice in the face. She then made four punishing karate chops on her skull and then somersaulted over her back before snatching her tail. Winda then lifted Zira up just by using her tail and then flipped her upside down before throwing her out of the master bedroom by having her crash through the wall and falling through the air.

Zira then managed to grab an exposed board stick for support and then clung to it. "Help!" she croaked. "Help me please!" Lena then poked out of the hole Zira had just made. "Don't worry, Zira. I'll get some help," she soothed her friend. Then she turned to her team. "Guys! Form a chain. We got to get Zira out of there!" Lena Rosenberg shouted. Nuka, Vitani, her son James Peterson, Henry Rosenberg, Kitty Champagne, Yzma, Frances Carmichael, Jacob Carmichael, Hailey Carmichael, Agnes Morgenstein, Norma Alexander, Minnie Rogers, Walter Matthews, Jack Lennon, Shirley Lane, Darrin Moore, Vincent Marvin, Barbara Sullivan and Blaire Dane volunteered to help.

Marie and Helen peeped through the hole and positioned themselves to catch Zira in case she falls. Soon the volunteers lined up in order and then Nuka hung on to Lena's legs. The hotelier then pushed herself to Zira and then clasped her paws. "Hang on, Zira. Whatever you do, do not let go. You hear me? Do, not, let, go!" Lena instructed.

Mr. Piano smirked and then chuckled to himself. _This is pathetic, absolutely pathetic. What a bunch of loonies. Someone should book them to a mental institution, _was his thought. "Come on! Pull, guys! Pull!" Max urged on. "Yeah! Use your muscle and strength! You can do it! I know you can do it!" John cheered on. Blaire Dane stepped back as she reeled in the line of volunteers with all her strength. Pamela Harriet then stepped in to assist her friend and teammate and then pulled her in as well. Poodles barked wildly. _Come on, you fools! Pull; pull with all your might!_ He thought.

Then, all of Team Legacy started to chant, "Pull! Pull guys pull!" Little by little, Zira was being pulled back into the master bedroom thanks to the encouragement by her teammates. Finally Zira was catapulted out of danger and then thrust herself into a wall. White, heavenly light flashed right before everyone's eyes and then Marie and Helen were appalled to see three police cars parked before the house. Soon the sound of police car wails echoed in the atmosphere. "Oh, heck no," muttered James Peterson. "Well, looks like Mr. Piano is in huge trouble now," concluded Henry.

Mr. Piano then grasped Payton by the shoulders and shook him roughly. "You traitor! Did you rat me out to those cops? I'm warning you, you puny mouse boy. If I find out that you contacted those policemen, I swear by your mother's ass that I will chastise you severely. I will fetch my 20 feet long birch rod and pull your pants down and spank you well," he exploded while scolding him. Shadow then bit Payton in the leg, making him yelp with pain. Rhonda then went for Mr. Piano and George and Martha had to hold her down while she struggled and wrestled to break free. "Rhonda, no!" bellowed Penny. "Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! You haven't changed a bit, Miss Petrie. I torture my son and you still lunge at me in order to kick my ass. And that reminds me…" taunted Mr. Piano scornfully. He then brought in an ironing table and then slipped out a birch rod from his breast pocket. Mr. Piano then lifted up Payton and then unzipped his pants.

He then pulled down his pants and exposed his underwear. "Are you nuts? You're going to discipline your son in front of everyone!" Suzanne objected. "Who cares? That makes Payton feel all the more ashamed," hissed Mr. Piano and then he started hacking Payton with the birch rod. Payton screamed and wailed and begged his pa to stop, but his own father wouldn't. The speechless and dumbfounded heroes were hypnotized and frozen in their tracks. Rhonda couldn't believe what she was seeing. She felt totally helpless and powerless. Lena was outraged. This was the most disturbing scenario she had ever witnessed. Despite of the fact that she was the Queen of Hell, she wouldn't even think of doing this to her own son. Lloyd Dodgers was shaking with wrath.

"Enough bullshit!" boomed Yubaba and then she dashed at Mr. Piano with a revolver in hand. Then everything transferred to slow motion from that point on. Yubaba cocked her revolver and then aimed it at Mr. Piano. Mr. Piano breathlessly backed up on a wall with his birch rod still in hand. "Black-hearted bastard!" bellowed Yubaba in slow motion and then she began to fire. Bullets burst out like firecrackers and smoke belched out from the barrel. BAM! BANG! BAM! BANG! BAM! Went the revolver. Cock, and then another BANG! Just then Rhonda rushed into the scene in the guise of a lioness. She then pushed herself up into the air and then let out an ear splitting roar. Capt. Janet Hamilton then charged at Mr. Piano with her shotgun in hand. Rhonda then tackled Mr. Piano and then buffeted him with slashes and smacks. Mr. Piano pushed her off him and then Rhonda skidded on the floor lying on her back. Capt. Janet Hamilton then spun around while shooting from her shotgun and several bullets grazed Mr. Piano barely.

Mr. Piano then knelt down while a rocket broke out through the wall. Capt. Janet Hamilton was taken aback from this. Rhonda then took a big jump and then pushed the brave police captain out of the way just seconds before the rocket glided through the master bedroom. As the rocket finally burst through the wall and making its exist, the pressure of the flames behind it and fast jet speeds finally made it dart high into the air. As the rocket went higher and higher into the atmosphere, the extreme heat started to burn on it. The rocket was increasingly melting in the high altitude as sparks and embers were being produced and then just as it was about to enter the exosphere, it exploded. Mr. Piano then stood up and then held the birch rod in his right hand. He then tapped the invisible air with it and the time portal materialized. The Legacy was stunned and was greatly afraid; their suspect was about to get away! Mrs. Vright then joined him, with Shadow in the crook of her arm.

Capt. Janet Hamilton then pointed her weapon at them. "Drop your weapons, you coldhearted bastards," she commanded. Just then the police invaded the master bedroom and surrounded the villains. "Freeze! This is the police! You are charged with felony child abuse, animal abuse and negligence, and plotting on taking a child bride," rasped the police captain. Mr. Piano then cackled maniacally. "Fools! You can never catch me. I'm Mr. Piano the Magnificent. Master of music and magic. Surely you have a plan to get me?" he mocked them viciously. "I order you to stop where you are and drop to the ground and that is an order!" growled the police captain. Winda held her breath. Her body quivered with trepidation and her heart rattled against her chest. Mr. Piano then decided to defy the police captain and flee. He then plunged into the time portal and just as Mrs. Vright was about to leave one of the police officers tasered her and then Shadow shot out of her arms and then fell to the ground with a squeak.

Mrs. Vright was then handcuffed and arrested right on the spot, and after the police escorted her out of the master bedroom, the time portal dissipated and died out. Shadow was convulsing on the floor and then Abraham Hershel picked her up and caressed her. "Don't worry, girl. Everything's going to be okay," he crooned. "Whoa. That was freaky," commented Nuka. "Shut up Nuka!" snapped Vitani. Then she turned to Zira. "Mother, what are we to do now?" she asked her. "Well, we might as well spend the night here," replied Zira. "I hate this room. It's crap," complained Lena. "The only thing that's disgusting in here is the mattress," Rhonda spoke. "Exactly," Lena agreed. "So why not do something about it?" questioned Jeffrey Dodgers. "What about making a bed frame?" suggested Beau Dodgers. "Great idea! Why don't we start today?" chirped Cindy Dodgers. "Heck no. It's too late. We might as well start tomorrow," disagreed James Peterson.

May then glimpsed at Henry and smiled. "Wait! We have to name the cubs and the blue bird," Jack Lennon reminded everyone. "That's true. (Gasp) I got it, everyone! I'm going to name the periwinkle cub Henrietta," addressed Anne Margaret. "The maroon/red cub should be christened Kefir," suggested Zoe Chandler. "Kefira for the white lioness cub," declared Maggie Sloane. "Hari for the midnight blue cub," spoke out Thomas. "And Finn for the yellowish orange cub," mumbled Payton. Everyone then turned to him. "What? Finn would be a nice name for a cub like her. Besides, I think this is the one cub that might change the course of world history someday," retorted Payton. "You're pretty resilient for a young kid. Especially after what your father did to you," Jackie Hansen informed him. "Sorry about the animals coming out of the picnic basket. That's not the only thing that is in this basket. There are a lot of delicious things to eat," apologized Payton.

He then skipped over to the picnic basket and then opened it and then searched through it and then finally taking his hand out of the picnic basket. Many of the team members were annoyed. "For crying out loud, Payton. This is no joke," scolded Lena. Payton grinned sheepishly and then stuck his hand into his throat and then took out an apple. Everyone was shocked and his or her jaws dropped instantly. Payton then picked into his ear and then took out a spider. "W-W-W-W-W-W-WHOA!" May stammered. "Anyone want an apple?" offered Payton with a smile. Several of the Team Legacy members refused. "No thanks," rejected Tom. "No thank you. We're okay," replied Jerry while shaking his head. "No thank you, Payton. But thanks," added Kyle. "That is a great ass trick," said Cartman in awe. Just then, an actress stepped into the master bedroom. She was Lupe Oliverios. Payton offered her an apple and she accepted and then bit into it.

The Legacy members then whispered among themselves in hushed voices as Lupe Oliverios continued to munch on the apple. Finally, she had her fill. "Uh, ma'am. I think you just ate something that came out of a boy's mouth," piped in Stan. "That comes from cool magic!" screamed Cartman. "Magic? That's harmless," snorted Lupe. "(Laughing) What I'd tell ya! That boy is cool!" crowed Cartman giddily. "Would you like me to toss that disgraceful mattress for you?" Lupe offered. "Thank you!" was Lena's rejoinder. Lupe then lifted up the mattress and then Paul Swimmerton opened the door for her, and garnering a "thank you," from the Mexican-American actress in the process. She then threw the mattress out of the master bedroom and then the mattress plunged into the first floor. Lupe then wiped the dust off her hands and then danced right back into the master bedroom. She then faced the heroes. "Now who's hungry?" she made an inquiry of them.

30 minutes later, Rhonda and Team Legacy were sitting around on the wooden floor with the fireplace flickering and raging smoothly and harmlessly. Abraham Hershel was building a bed framework and wiped the cool sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief. "Abraham! Come and eat the chicken pot pie Lupe has made!" hollered Tess McNeal. Abraham Hershel then discontinued his work temporarily and turned to face the voluptuous French actress. What he saw took his breath away. Tess McNeal was clad in a dark blue, soft, furry, simple dress in which its polo necklace was decorated with tiny, twinkling, sparkly, radiant pearls. Her bun was tied in a blue ribbon and the actress also wore a pearl amulet and a pair of square diamond earrings that had belonged to her mother. There was also a purple tulip design imprinted on the dress. Her dress was also adorned and ornamented with aquamarines.

Tess McNeal was basically stunning. She called it her "Tulip Dress". The sleeves also were sewn with blue ruffles. Abraham had a white polo shirt with black suspenders and his favorite Wellington boots, which was a change from his slovenly attire. He had on his ancient cowboy hat. "So, what do you call that dress?" inquired Abraham Hershel. "My Tulip Dress," answered Tess McNeal while leering sweetly. "Where did you get it?" persisted Abraham Hershel. "What? You want an autograph of my dress?" sassed Tess McNeal with a frown. Then she burst out laughing. "O-h-h-h-h-h! I'm sorry. I'm just screwing with you. My husband got it for me on my birthday. It was shortly after my sister died, and it still devastated me very much. My heart was aching for her. When I received it from Mick, I was overjoyed. Nessie loved tulips very much, and when we were kids she would wear one on her hair. So I thought that for my birthday I would wear my dress in honor of her," Tess McNeal explained.

Then she fell silent and then ran off into the balcony, leaving Rhonda and her team stunned. When Abraham Hershel quietly entered the balcony, he found his new friend sobbing and crying on the column fence. He then went up to her and then caressed her hair. Tess McNeal quickly reacted by striking him across the face and pushing him away. Her stricken and pained visage and her steamy, hot, and infuriated breathing were apparent. Tess McNeal sniffled before pointing her .18 caliber Tommy gun at the middle aged journalist. "YOU GODDAMN DICKHEAD ASSHOLE! You don't know what it's like to be in so much pain. You don't know what it's like to be stuck with a no good, jack head, ill-tempered, violent, drunken husband for 7 dang years! You don't know what it's like to have a crazy, manipulative, vile, seductive, evil niece whose brother follows her around like a dog! I can't escape from Mick, even with my death. He's in my thoughts and in my conscience. If killing myself won't rid me of him, then I don't know what will," she raged at him.

"Listen to yourself, Tess. You sound pretty desperate. I know how you feel. I know what it is like to undergo so much suffering and sorrow. Sure I didn't have to deal with a belligerent spouse or deal with a crazy niece, but I faced far worse things than that. My colleagues were murdered by a bunch of nuts or met unfortunate ends such as accidents or drug overdoses. They were stabbed, shot, drowned, and broke their necks, poisoned, electrocuted, fried to death, and even run over. My sons were involved in a number of scandals including money laundering, fraud, and sexual affairs with high profile people, mismanagement of funds, murder, rape, etc. And they blamed everything on me, every time. And even though I went through a series of trials and was acquitted, my reputation was already long tarnished. Those greedy, ungrateful dogs. They should burn in hell. And especially since I made a lot of money being an investigative journalist, burglars used to break into my home and rob me of my money and prized possessions."

"Some of my colleagues and bosses did the same to me. They would ask me favors and then when I helped them, they would take everything I gave for granted and steal a large portion of my savings. Some of the people I turn to for help also turn out to be con artists. And some of my girlfriends were also con women! All they want was my expensive lifestyle and my fortune. Other girlfriends just used me so that they could climb up in the social world. Of course there were some people that were jealous of me and some of the criminals whose stories I reported on swore revenge on me."

"One time when I was walking on a bridge down in New York shots rang out in the dark and I felt bullets pierce through me. It was actually a very dangerous criminal who was responsible for kidnapping and enslaving young children for his dirty work and if he grew dissatisfied with some of them, he would slay them. He even recruited some of those kids to pick up a kid that was walking down the street and then beat them up and slay them before encasing their bodies in an apple barrel and dumping them into the Hudson River."

"This criminal looked me down straight in the eye. He was short, pudgy, a huge black beard, bushy unibrow, dimples, white sweat stained shirt, black suspenders, and big, fat arms that could be used for a pillow. This brute spat on the ground and then said to me, 'Well, this is the end for you Mist-a-r Hersh-a-l. Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh, heh!' and then stomped away into the night. I could hear the earth shake and the street below me vibrate. I could also feel the rocks bounce up and down. I never forgot that night. I was airlifted to a hospital and put on life support for three days before I fully recovered and went home. Every time a lowlife villainous character tries to destroy me, I never forget their faces, their evil laugh, their expression, and the chilly atmosphere that shrouded them…"

"It was only after the scandals that befell me that I became an amateur detective. It was my way of helping people solve mysteries that are distressing them, and on each case, I make darn sure that their life does not end up like mine. It was also a method of retaliating against my prodigal sons. They are filthy rich, live in a five story mansion with hundreds of waiters, servants, maids, dogs, cats, tigers, lions, and many other exotic animals, an outdoor swimming pool, ducks, you name it… and they also own a corporation that deals with the regulations and functions of hotels and travel agencies. The news corporations that I worked for betrayed me too when they promised me a 20% increase in my salary every time I hit a good story and they give me only half of what they promised. When I go on vacations, I would have a destination in mind and I read a corporation-sponsored brochure that gives a tableau description of all of the luxurious hotels and of the most popular attractions."

"And every time my plane lands, I get off, thinking I have landed on, let's say Paris, and instead I am stranded on a deserted island. It's actually fun living with the natives and learning about their culture, but still, I would like to do work on the big cities of the world," Abraham Hershel attempted to quell her rage. It seemed to work. Tess McNeal puts her gun down and then stares at him while hiccupping from her tears. "Do you do stories on the natives?" she whispered. "Oh yes, I did. I took notes on them whenever I could. But when they started to happen again and again, I soon became very bitter. And when my father lay on his deathbed, he denied me his estate. It was a crushing blow in my life, and I did everything that pleased him and yet I was disinherited. I want to start over here, with you," explained Abraham Hershel.

"Excuse me?" responded Tess McNeal. "You're the liveliest person I have ever met. I have never met a woman who has more spunk, more fire, more ardor, and more sensuality than you do," continued Abraham Hershel. Tess McNeal then smiled while laughing. "Are you proposing something?" she inquired. "Why not? After all, I'm seeing a very sexy lady right in front of me," flirted Abraham Hershel. Tess McNeal felt very giddy. She has not felt this aroused since she had courted Mick. Sure Mick had given her compliments and had flirted with her just to get her sexually interested, but that was when he was not being abusive or intoxicated. But Abraham was different. Much different. Everyone has eaten their meals and was now sleeping in their inflatable beds. Tess McNeal and Abraham Hershel then started to slow dance. Abraham's hand was on Tess's back while Tess laid her head against Abraham's head. They pressed their chests together and Tess felt her heart beat with her friend's heart. She then let herself melt into his arms.

Tess knew she was falling prey to lust for Abraham. She then collapsed on him, and then Abraham cradled her in his arms and then walked back into the master bedroom with her. Then they found a lone inflatable bed on the unfinished framework and then got on there and lay there. It was a moonlit night and the two lovers were masked in the shadows. Suzanne then sat up from her bed and then viewed Tess McNeal and Abraham Hershel in bed together. She made a blushing simper and a wink before lying down again and falling asleep. Tess McNeal could hardly believe she was in bed with a well-to-do journalist. She was in pure ecstasy. Now, she can finally put Mick behind her and start over with her new boyfriend. Tess McNeal then pecked Abraham Hershel in the lips and then the two started making out.

Meanwhile, Winda nudged Kovu awake. "Ugh, what is it, Winda?" he muttered sleepily. "Dear Kovu, can you take me home to see my mother?" pleaded Winda. "All right. Where's her house?" relented Kovu. "It's at 5090 SE 67th Lane. I'll show you," explained Winda. She then happened to glance at the balcony and noticed that it was open. "C'mon, Kovu. Now I know how to get out of here," she informed him. Winda then headed for the balcony and then got through, and Kovu had no choice but to follow her. Winda then leapt through the column fence and then was tumbling to the ground, and Kovu did the same. The two cubs then crash-landed on an old springy mattress and then splat to the soil. Then they darted out of the penthouse and then sprung into the streets and into the confusing and perilous darkness.

**Author's Notes:**

**Well! I thought I was never going to get this chapter done! Anyways, it now appears that Mr. Piano is quite a ladies' man and a very cruel and cold-hearted character at that; it also appears he has a big of conceited arrogance in him, such as when he addresses the police who broke into the master bedroom by taunting them to try and catch him. Thankfully they caught Mrs. Vright and Shadow in time before they could escape. I think Abraham Hershel and Tess McNeal are a very cute couple, especially since Tess has been through quite a lot; I believe she deserves some sort of happiness. No one knows if this new relationship will even last but it seems that Tess has a positive effect on Abraham's life since they both have shadowy and difficult past lives and they both know what is like to go through pain and suffering. I think considering what Abraham has been through, it's no wonder he's so damn bitter. But I'm sure the privations Tess went through in life did not stop her from being optimistic, even though Mick had tried to ruin her life and career several times, including that time when he spread a rumor that she was a lesbian. I would hate to see the two break up; I can't even begin to imagine what Abraham would be without Tess...**

**It also appears that another pairing is in the works: Winda is apparently infatuated with Kovu, Zira's son, and now she wants to put some moves on him in order to impress him. What would Kiara think? Is she going to be jealous? We'll see, since I don't think Kovu will accept these amorous advances either way. Oh and by the way, if I had not mentioned this already, Kovu and Kiara are referred to as their cub versions while Adult Kovu & Kiara is pretty much self-explanatory, so don't get confused because that is not a case of pedophilia, believe me. I think Winda has a strong crush on Kovu, and he's just too nervous to acknowledge her. I think in the next chapter we'll find out just who Winda is and whether or not she is Zalira's daughter. Just who is Winda anyway? And where is she taking Kovu exactly? Will the cubs end up getting into more trouble than they bargained for?**

**Read and review!  
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	6. Winda & Kovu's Nocturnal Adventure

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, here we are! You're finally going to see the infamous strip scene that has inspired a similar dream like sequence with Lee Dumonde in my collaboration fic with Experiment632, "Revenge In Rendezvous". I think at the end of the author's notes in the Breakfast Club chapter I made some sort of reference to this chapter and I wondered to myself just how graphic was that strip scene. Turns out that Winda's was relatively nothing ****compared to Lee Dumonde's; I think hers was a lot more provocative and sexual.****This chapter chronicles Winda and Kovu's misguided trip to a strip club where it is revealed that Winda is working as an underage stripper under the stage name "Sexy Queen". **

**Kovu is put off and abashed by Winda's sexy moves and he becomes very nervous and agitated throughout the whole performance until a police task force burst into the club and opened fire on its customers, prompting Winda and Kovu to escape.****They are soon tracked down by Zalira's pride and Winda is cast out into the sewer as Kovu jumps in to save her. Meanwhile, Zalira finally makes her appearance with a significant change in her physical appearance but is still the same cruel, cold-hearted and contemptuous lioness who bullied Zira in her younger years. It is also revealed that the cubs that Team Legacy retrieved are related to Zalira and the young albino lioness has special interest in one lion cub in particular...**

**Meanwhile, Suzanne Carmichael, Zeniba, Dennis and Zira soon run into a gang of crack smoking prostitutes that were employed at Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers and had not only witnessed the brutal massacre that took place but escaped it with their very lives. It turns out that each of the women have a very interesting story to tell and have led bizarre yet fascinating lives that somehow intertwined in a chance encounter that eventually developed a strong friendship. I think the prostitutes' life stories are very, very interesting and I wish now that perhaps I could have used them more in the story or at least write side stories about them.**

******WARNING! Some mature content may be featured in this story, including one particular instance of drug use and several references to gore, violence, use of weapons, prostitution, destruction of property, child exploitation, child abuse, etc. You have been forewarned***  
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**Read and review!  
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**_Chapter 5: Winda & Kovu's Nocturnal Adventure_**

**W**inda and Kovu had been on the loose during the early morning hours in rush hour traffic for some time. They performed leapfrog over each other and both of them tried to outrun the other. They soon barged into traffic and the drivers started to honk their horns and swore at the youngsters. "Holy shocks! Margie, did you see those two lions running loose in the streets?" said an overweight man with a blue suit and a loose red tie. "Oh, Wilbur. You worry too much. We really need to get home. Our children might be worried sick about us," replied his wife, who was putting on eyeliner and applying blush to her cheek at the same time while a cigarette hung from her mouth and smoke drifted in the car. Winda and Kovu graced over cars and crawled under them. They soon reached the sidewalk and then trotted to a strip club. Kovu then looked up and then read the blinking fuchsia neon sign, "Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers."

"What in the world…" gasped Kovu. He then turned his head to Winda. "Winda, do you have any idea what this place is?" he asked her suspiciously. "Yep. It's a strip club," chirped Winda. "No. I mean, do you know ANYTHING about this strip club?" Kovu empathized while enunciating his words carefully so Winda knows what he is talking about. Winda snickered and then cat walked her way into the strip club while brushing her tail against Kovu's nose. Nevertheless, Kovu decided to follow her into Madame Aphrodite's, and so he did. Once he entered the strip club, he couldn't believe what he saw. Most of the guests sitting around in tables were college freshmen, computer geeks, addicted video gamers, bums, slobs, bachelors, boxers, rich men, college graduates, restaurant workers, pool boys, waiters, and corporate executives. Some of the men had a harem of stripper girls around them. There were even sparse numbers of struggling actors or porn actors who were prepping up for their latest project.

The strip club had a wall dividing the catwalk and a private reserved section for guests who specifically requested it. Not far from the catwalk was a bar where all of the bums and video game junkies were getting drunk. Security guards armed with tasers and .44 magnums were guarding the entrance. The walls were reflecting and wavy mirrors conveying a mixture of fuchsia, magenta, cardinal, ruby, chestnut, cinnamon, chocolate and auburn. The flashing, radiant, pearly disco ball released huge bursts of light and blinded Kovu momentarily. The floor was dark strawberry marble and when Kovu tried to brush his claw against it, friction occurred and the claw seemed to be pushed away. On both sides of the walk way was the west wing and the east wing. Kovu then cocked his head to a couple of johns on the west wing, one for boys and one for girls. Then just next to the bathrooms was a hallway.

Kovu then looked around and realized that Winda had vanished into thin air! Instinctively he then galloped for the hallway. Once he was in the hallway he then treaded through the ominous dark, scanning the narrow area for his companion. Kovu was deeply afraid. He had never felt this alone in his life. His body felt cold and he was sweating excessively. His ears rang relentlessly and his head pounded. Kovu imagined the walls closing in on him. His heartbeat went haywire and pumped erratically. The opaque darkness spiraled, twisted, and spun in his vision and Kovu was on the verge of screaming. He tried to roar to calm himself but his mouth was so dry and his voice hoarse from fear that he couldn't do it. Just then, he saw a shadowy figure advance towards him. Kovu froze. He couldn't move, for he was too petrified to even run. Right then and there he wished that he would die so his soul would fly and escape from the cruel and unforgiving world.

_My God… This is the end. This is it. I'm going to die. Someone is coming towards me and I'm going to die. Please let Mother find me dead when my demise arrives, _thought Kovu. Then, the lights were triggered one by one and then the mysterious figure was revealed. It was Winda, wearing a strapless, hourglass, sexy party dress and wearing light pink blush and mascara on her face. She even had lipstick on. Her curves were also showing, making her look more like a woman than a 10-year-old girl. Her tufts of hair covered her left eye and were thoroughly whipped and brushed. Kovu couldn't believe what he was seeing. He automatically ran off without a word. Winda seethed with anger. All she wanted to do was to wow Kovu with her sexuality but instead he dashed off at the sight of her. She was terribly frustrated. She had to impress Kovu somehow, someway.

Winda then noticed the spotlights moving alternately and making a circular motion on the walkway. "And now, ladies and gentlemen get ready to feast your eyes on the one, the only, Sexy Queen!" bellowed the announcer. And then Winda strolled to the walkway with her head high and her shoulders bouncing relaxingly. The men cheered and howled. Some of them whistled and growled in a horny way. This was too much for Kovu. Winda then got onto the walk way and then crossed her legs while walking back and forth. She then shook her hips and then threw back her head. Winda then came to a pole and then swung on it while sliding her leg up and down seductively. Kovu stared at her wordlessly and attentively. Winda then did a pivot and then a triple spin and then lay on the floor while crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Winda then ambled her way to another pole and then with her legs climbed all the way to the top. She then jumped from the pole and then did a Marilyn Monroe in midair. Winda then twirled and did a cha-cha step and then tap danced. She did a sidewalk while lifting up her dress and then did another spin in midair and flopped on the floor. Winda then started to unravel her dress while doing a little dance. It was a mind-boggling move. Kovu was now about to have a nervous breakdown. At first rate, he shouldn't even be here! Just then the cops barged into the strip club. The madam appeared and was horrified. "Land sakes! Ladies, you better scram!" she hollered. "Come on, Kovu. Let's jet," instructed Winda. Kovu agreed. He and Winda then galloped over two large tables before soaring through a glass window and disappearing farther into downtown. The guests were immediately angered and started to buffet the police with beer bottles and wine glasses. The madam was in a state of panic and retreated to her dressing room.

Then a riot broke out. The tables and chairs were overturned and the guests attempted to resist the authorities, but were met with stun guns, clubs, and shots of gunfire. There were screams of terror and glass shattering and machines humming. Blood spilled on the marble floor and stained it red. The guests then dropped dead from fatal gunshot wounds and even one cop struck a man to death with a club and cracked his skull. Dead bodies were multiplying and littering everywhere and another man had enough and then lunged at one of the cops and began to choke him. He then kicked the police officer in the groins and then smashed his head clean with a beer bottle, knocking him unconscious. Some of the brave men charged at a couple of officers and the officers fought back by thrusting knives into their chests. The men then fell back on top of the dead, slain. A shower of gunfire polluted the atmosphere and soon the strip club was dented with bullets.

Shouts of unbearable pain and agony echoed in the night and feminine screeches mingled with their male counterparts. Finally, one man was crawling on his knees, a knife stuck in his stomach and gasping for air. One of the police officers approached him and then stomped him to the ground, pinning him. Then with his other foot, he pushed the knife even further, producing more blood and rapidly sucking the life out of the victim. "Now listen, bub. This side of town belongs to us and if you disturb the peace again, I swear, next time the madam of this club will be the one to perish," he rasped threateningly. Then he stomped on the knife for the last time, and the man withered away instantly, with the life in his eyes fading away to nothing. Then, all of the officers reloaded their guns and then stored them in their holsters. They soon stormed out of Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers while whistling the musical score from "Psycho".

...

Meanwhile, in the penthouse, Zira suddenly awoke with a start and then panted. She had a really bad nightmare that involved Winda brutally murdering Kovu on a cliff by stabbing him with a knife before finishing him off with gunshots. As Zira heard Kovu falling to his death and screaming, she remembered yelling, "KOVU NO!" Earlier in the dream Winda had taunted Kovu about his own family and team and also about he should be ashamed to be Zira's own son. Then, when she smirked, Zira thought she saw an image of Zalira flash in her eyes. That really spooked her. "Oh my God," Zira moaned. In the dark, she found a remote controller and then turned on the television while keeping the volume down so that everyone around her could sleep. That was when the 3 o' clock news reported on the strip club massacre.

Tom Foster then unraveled the events that led up to the massacre, and then the photos of Kovu and Winda were being displayed. Zira was dismayed and appalled and then soon realized that her son and the mysterious lioness cub had run off! She then raced to Kovu's bed and unrolled the covers and in her eyes Kovu's disappearance was confirmed. Zira then became enraged. "I knew that bitch should have never been trusted! I knew that from the moment I first saw her that she was trouble with a double T on it!" she spat out, indignant. Then she threw back her head and screamed, "FUCK YOU! GODDAMN IT!" Zira then broke down and wept.

Her angry outburst had woken up Dennis, and then when he noticed her crying, he got up from his bed and walked toward her and nuzzled her neck. Zira nearly snapped at him, but instead she could only look at him in furious tears. "Why, Dennis? Why is this fucking society crumbling right before my eyes?" she implored him. "It's the ways of the world nowadays, Zira. We just have to learn how to live with it," explained Dennis calmly. "You mean I'm going to have to let Winda screw my son?" Zira nearly exploded. "We'll deal with her, Zira, but that is not what I mean. What I mean is that we have to learn to survive in this ever-changing society and preserve our identity and ourselves. We have to learn how to be leaders in our own right and join together and cooperate in order to endure," continued Dennis. Zira made a nod to show Dennis that she was listening. Then she smiled and kissed Dennis lightly on the cheek. The two lions then had a brief make out session.

"What the fuck is going on here for Chrissakes?" moaned a voice and then Zira and Dennis were startled and then turned to see whom it was. It was Yubaba, and she was really high. Tremors rocked her body and she seemed to be shaking uncontrollably. "What the hell is going on with you, Yubaba? You look like you had too much caffeine in a café or something," commented Zira. "They… They… They… They… They… are… are… are… are… are… smoking… meth… meth… meth… meth…" stammered Yubaba like a broken record. Dennis gasped with horror as Zira rose to her feet. "Let me bust their asses right now. No one drugs up my girl like this," she decided. She then stormed out of the master bedroom with Dennis.

When Dennis and Zira stepped out of the master bedroom however, they were surprised to see a group of four prostitutes smoking meth just inches away from the doorway. The prostitutes then happened to notice the couple. _Bastards,_ thought Zira._ Yeah,_ agreed Dennis while thinking. "So what do you want?" riposted one of the prostitutes. "We would like to know why you have drugged our friend Yubaba," answered Dennis. "Oh that witch? Well, she wanted to try some and we let her have some," explained another one of the prostitutes.

Zira didn't buy that story one little bit. "I have come to believe that you fucked up Yubaba on purpose," she argued. "Oh really? Are you her sister?" countered the third prostitute. "No, but close," was Zira's reply. Zeniba then materialized into the scene. "Hey what's up g… Holy crap! Prostitutes are smoking crack in our territory?" she said casually and then flipped out when she spotted the prostitutes. "Actually, it's meth, and we think that your sister might have dappled into some of that stuff," Dennis corrected her. "You wanna fight about it?" challenged the first prostitute defiantly. "Bring it on, bitch," complied Zira boldly. Just then, Finn came mewing into the scene and then rubbed her head against Zira's leg. Zira then looked over her shoulder and then peered at the young kitten. "Well, well, well. Looks like Miss Finn here wants to see the commotion. Aren't you adorable!" she purred. Suzanne then woke up and yawned. She then righted herself and then gracefully strolled out of the master bedroom.

Payton rolled on his right side and creaked his eyes open. Once he noticed the unrolled and wrinkled covers and the big lump in the bed, he then hopped out of the bed and then disappeared into thin air. "Okay, what is the big deal giving Yubaba meth?" Suzanne demanded, upset. "We just wanted her to try some meth, that's all. It helps you lose weight," explained the first prostitute, who then fluffed up her wild, wavy, black hair. "But it also gives you a lot of health problems, especially if you're pregnant," Suzanne argued. "Okay, bitch. We got some info that might interest you, and listen carefully as I say it," informed the first prostitute. Suzanne, Dennis, Zira, and Zeniba then huddled over the prostitutes and then the prostitute leaned over to Suzanne's ear. "Them cops busted our strip club joint and knocked off everybody. Huge massacre man. Bodies were piling up on each other and the madam was going bonkers. She was desperate to get out alive and hid in the dressing room. I saw one guy who had his skull cracked like an egg. There were also some officers that stabbed a few men that charged at them. There were unspeakable sounds of painful and agonizing screaming."

"It was too surreal to even be real. The club was infested with gunpowder, smoke, and bullets. I saw some men ridden with bullets fall in slow motion as blood gushed and seeped out of their wounds. I also heard cries for help but there was nothing we could do. However, Ally did try to help a woman who tried to escape. But a cop confronted the woman and with his malicious and nasty smirk he says to her, 'You're not going anywhere, missy, because this is the end of you.' And with his Tommy gun, he cocked, aimed at the poor bitch, and them pelted and blasted her with stinging bullets before she crumpled on the floor, dead. I also saw a dark brown lion cub with black hair and a yellow lioness cub with yellow whippy tufts on her head and sensual eyes run with their lives through a glass window. You better find them, before them cops catch them and skin them for their fur coats," she whispered with her breath tickling her ear.

"Who's Ally?" asked Dennis quizzically with his eyebrow up. "She's the second prostitute in this group. Ally is an Italian New Yorker who grew up in a working class family. She majored in law and psychology in high school and college and then when she graduated she became a criminologist and a lawyer in a prestigious law firm that dealt with murder, financial scams, fraud, sex crimes, religious cults, police corruption, celebrity scandals, and drug busts. But the big stock market crash of '87 caused the law firm business to go broke and eventually close down. It devastated Ally very much, for it was her life work."

"She enjoyed being a prosecuting lawyer, but another blow rolled in when her older sister Lea got killed in a freak scuba diving accident off the coast of Oahu while on vacation. She was swimming not far from shore when suddenly a shark just darted in and devoured her to pieces. The worst part was that they never found her body except for a scarred femur. Just two days before she sliced her leg open when she accidentally slipped on a knife while preparing salad."

"Ally had never forgotten that accident, and to this very day, she still keeps that scarred femur bone in a chocolate French jewelry box. Eventually however, she applied for a job at a small law firm that dealt with child issues, which was fine with her. And the day before her interview, she caught me and my girlfriends stealing gemstones from a jewelry store. And when them cops came in, she was mistaken for one of us and all four of us were arrested. That first night in the big house, we all got to know each other. Ally told us about her life story, about how she worked hard in school to get to where she was now and how she managed her family's pastry shop while weathering her parents' financial and social difficulties, especially with discrimination, unsatisfactory jobs, low wages and mounting debt."

"She also explained how she graduated from high school with high honors and #1 in her class and also how in college she fought to resist the bad influences around her such as drugs and sex and on how she narrowly escaped from intruders in her home twice and on how one night during her freshman year she was almost murdered in her sleep by a burglar that happened to find her in her room while scavenging for jewelry, drugs, and cash."

"Fortunately she awoke to discover that he was hovering over her with a pistol in hand. Ally then swiped a 4.4 magnum from her night counter and cocked it before blowing his brains out right on the spot. This incident threatened not only expulsion from school but also 60 consecutive life sentences, eviction from her apartment, and also the recording of that incident in her permanent record. However, all that was resolved when the judge declared the case justifiable homicide and ordered Ally to perform 72 hours of community service for the murder and one day in jail after that. Despite of the outcome of that particular episode, this event would haunt Ally for many years to come, even in her years as a criminologist and a high profile lawyer."

"She then graduated from college cum laude and with a Bachelor's Degree in Law and Criminology. Ally is a very affable person to be around, and she is also gracious and well mannered. But she is very tough and audacious, and what keeps her going is her pride. That's right. Her pride. It keeps her levelheaded and it also keeps her dignity intact. She is also a brilliant genius and knows the justice system inside and out."

"As for me, I was born in Atlanta in a disgusting slum. My parents were peddlers who were struggling to make ends meet. I grew up in the ghetto, where only the strong survive and where you can die if you're not careful. Actually, I was a child streetwalker well before my teens. I worked for a drug kingpin who would assign me to clients that lived in our turf and sometimes he would send me to members of rival gangs just to con them of valuables, usually hard, cold cash. By the time I was ten, I was a full blown scam artist, call girl, and jewel thief. I hardly went to school and when I enrolled for 10th grade, I did so poorly that I eventually dropped out. I'm not scholar material, if you ask me."

"Then, when I was on business in Chicago, I met up with Scottish twins Cora and Cadha. Cora is the brunette one and Cadha is the auburn/chestnut haired one. Coincidentally, they were career criminals like me, but Cora was a con artist and Cadha was a small time thief who would steal anything that caught her eye and who had kleptomaniac tendencies. Cora, however, was a pyromaniac and would set neighborhood stores on fire regardless of whether or not she had just swindled the owner of a token. Soon my pimp hired them to join me on jewel swiping sprees."

"Now back to the jail cell episode. Ally walked out of the joint a free woman after the judge discovered that she shouldn't have been arrested in the first place, and we got six months in prison and along with 85 hours of community service. Just like with the burglar incident, the accidental arrest was exempt from her record. But the law firm she worked with ran into a lot of work and staff-related problems, and when they got themselves into a quagmire disaster that involved a Jewish boy being taken advantage of by his British foster parents and the fact that the parents organized a baby black market to sell children that acquaintances and friends placed in their care in exchange for illegal weapons and 200 million dollars. To make matters worse, the boy was being forced to steal funds and savings from the state to finance his caretakers' shady dealings. Consequently, the boy was relocated from New York by his foster parents and was heading to Canada and would've crossed the border had we not intervened. It was a mess."

"The mom was threatening to murder the child in front of the FBI agents and I personally had to confront her right there. Because Ally had treated us so courteously in the cell that night, we decided that to pay her back we would attempt to help her in the case. Me and that bitch had a fist fight that resulted in the handgun going off, killing her instantly. The dad took out his own musket and then slain all of the FBI agents that were present. He then turned the gun on us and shot us 12 times and took off just like that. Last time I heard, he's in the Witness Protection Program along with the kid. 10 years now it's been."

"The case was so disastrous that not only did Ally quit her job, but she also checked herself into the Witness Protection Program and relocated to Germany a year later. We did the same and Cora and Cadha moved to Iceland while I went to Australia. 8 years later we reunited in Washington, D.C. and now we are prostitutes working for Madame Fiona at Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers because we needed work after our lives had been disrupted for so long. And yes we're still in the Witness Protection Program and that is why we registered with aliases," answered the first prostitute.

"What's your name?" interrogated Zeniba. "Sawyer. But call me Precious Jennings, Ally Marmora Rogers, Cora Haley Georgeson and Cadha Helen Georgeson. At least in public," replied the first prostitute with a drag of marijuana after her remark. Sawyer herself had a dark completion and had chocolate, olive skin and flashy eyebrows. She had an hourglass figure and ostrich-like legs and monkey-like arms. Sawyer also had an oval-shaped face with a short, narrow nose and low, thick cheekbones. On her left shoulder was a tattoo of a panther's head. Speaking of shoulders, her shoulders were slender and smooth. Her smile made her look like a teenager again, even though she was in her mid to late 30's. As for Ally, her hair was chocolate brown with a hint of cinnamon and honey and she is 46-years-old. With icy blue eyes, a slightly crooked nose, medium cheekbones, a muscular, skinny body, powerful, enormous legs, angular, double jointed arms, a short, slim neck, thin, ruby lips, and black, crooked, furrowed eyebrows, she was quite an astonishing sight to look at.

Cora and Cadha both have catty, surreal, cloudy aquamarine eyes, fin-like ears, narrow, pointy, sharp noses, 5-foot necks, bony legs and arms, sturdy, strong bodies, pale white, surprised yet alert and ghostly faces and short, cropped hair. The only differences between them besides their hair color are their voices, the birthmarks on their forehead, and the color jewelry they wear. Cora has a deep raspy and growly voice while Cadha has a whispery, scratchy and breathy voice. Cora also has an eagle tattoo on her forehead while Cadha has a falcon tattoo on her forehead. Cora prefers diamond jewelry while Cadha prefers rubies.

Finn then perked up her head to glance at Zira and gazed at her wonderingly. Zira then nuzzled the young cub on her head while purring lovingly. Just then, a loud snarl was heard. Zira then motioned to the banisters and peered down from above along with Sawyer, Ally, Cora, Cadha, Zeniba, Dennis, and Suzanne. The door was kicked down and then jackals and Tsavo lions poured out from within. They separated immediately and lined up in formation for their leader to arrive.

Then, a lioness stepped in. Her fur was silky, smooth crème white and was completely neat, groomed and untangled, almost in a ghostly way, and had a black beehive hairdo. She had a bold, crooked unibrow and her jackal-like visage was still present, but she also had a new prosthetic leg. Her eyelashes were plucky and as curly as the jaws of a Venus fly trap. Her tail was still wriggly but otherwise it vibrated with life. But now she has an indestructible, left eye transplant that had an eye color that matched the color of her right eye. Zira felt her hair standing up and goose bumps erupting from her skin. Her heart was banging in a volatile way. She was about to black out from shock. Despite her complete makeover, she was still initially recognizable. It was none other than Zalira! Zalira then cocked her head up and spotted Zira, and then a smirk emerged on her face. Zira then fainted and fell on Suzanne's arms. Then the cops lashed out of the walls and drew their guns while cocking them. Zalira then laughed maniacally while one of the cops brought in Kovu, who was hanging by the tail and protesting. "Let me go right now! Let me go!" he growled angrily.

Another cop ushered in Winda, pointing a semi automatic pistol and muzzling and blindfolding her. She was struggling and wrestling to break free from his grasp. "What in Sam Hill is this?" thundered Zira as she stormed down the stairs cautiously. "Answer me Zalira! What have you done to my SON?" she also added as she walked up to Zalira and looked at her straight in the eye. "My minions had caught up with these two fugitives on an intersection in the dead of night. No cars were even out during that time. They chased them to a canal where they have managed to corner the cubs. Winda slashed Maluku, (who was the head Tsavo lion of his pride), in the eye and then he grabbed her and tossed her into the water."

"She was being dragged to a sewer, and Kovu dove into the canal to save her. He swam and swam with all his strength, and by the time I arrived, he was just getting to her. It took five breaststrokes to latch his teeth onto her neck and carry her to shore on his back. The moment he climbed on to the sidewalk and laid my little girl on the ground, I flipped him on his back and pinned him with my paw. I told him, 'My name is Zalira Demur and the young lioness YOU'RE running around with is…" explained Zalira briskly.

"Your daughter," hissed Zira. "You're correct. You do remember my sister Nia, don't you?" remarked Zalira in an almost sweet and singsong way. "Yes, I do. She ran off with her boyfriend at 16 and has never been seen since," retorted Zira coolly. "And I have reason to believe that her cubs are somewhere in this penthouse," Zalira informed her childhood nemesis. "Cubs? Since when did she have cubs?" stammered Zira, perplexed. "She gave birth on the 23rd of March, two weeks ago," was Zalira's answer. Zira shook. Zalira's mystical and mystifying ability to calculate exact days, months, years, and even time of any given event spooked her sometimes. Most horrifying of all, she can even predict exactly when someone is going to die. This is why she never needs a clock to tell time.

Finn then plopped to the ground and landed on the old mattress. Zalira then focused on the young cub. "Well, that's Nia's daughter all right. My own little niece," she declared affirmatively. Winda muffled her surprise and astonishment. "Don't you dare touch her, Zalira," warned Zira while blocking her way. "Why am I going to hurt my own kin? I kill other people's cubs but not this one," argued Zalira. "I said don't you dare…" Zira admonished her again and then Zalira struck her in the face, silencing her.

Then she kicked her in the stomach and then shoved her to the ground and made her way to see Finn for the first time. Finn was mewing while kneading the mattress in anticipation of the stranger. Zalira then sat in front of her and then picked her up with her paws. Finn giggled naïvely at the sight of her. "Aren't you a lively one? Wouldn't you like to stay over with your Aunt Zalira and your cousin Winda?" cooed Zalira in awe. Finn nodded. She liked her already. Zalira then grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and approached Zira. After nudging her up, she then pushed her head against hers in aggression. "Listen up, Zira. I'm taking this cub for a few days. I think she might be a very special creature. A saffron cub has to be worth a lot of money, in fact, 200 million dollars," Zalira told Zira. "What are you planning to do with the cub?" spat out Zira, incensed. "Not much for the time being. But soon, I'll use her for an important business transaction," answered Zalira with an ominous tone in her voice. Payton then materialized suddenly while banging on the floor.

Zalira then whizzed her head around to see him. "What is your name, boy?" she demanded. "Payton. Payton Jonathan Gilbert German-Zion," was Payton's reply. "Hmm. That name rings a bell," commented Zalira. "You know my mother?" inquired Payton excitedly. "I've never met her in my life. She abandoned me with Papa when I was a baby." "Nope, never heard of her. But I did meet your father. Come closer boy, so that I may examine your scent. I want to make sure," replied Zalira positively. Payton then ambled to Zalira and started petting her behind her head while she whiffed on his neck. She immediately drew back in disgust. "Ugh! Your father has never bathed you! But I think there is a tinge of your father's scent somewhere. You're coming with me too and out of this penthouse," Zalira flinched while sticking out her tongue in grimace.

"Let me guess. If you clean him up the scent is clearer to identify," Zira said to her. "The cleaner he gets the better. Now, Payton. Follow me," commanded Zalira and then the cops dumped Kovu on the floor and exited with Winda in their clutches and Zalira was about to leave with her lions when she remembered she almost forgot something. "Taska! Bring in Finn's sister Mackenzie," she ordered one of the Tsavo lions. "Yes, Madame Zalira," complied the Tsavo lion and then he brought a dog carrier to Zira and set it in front of her and went away.

Soon Zalira and her posse departed from the penthouse with Finn and Payton. Zira had no choice but to take the dog carrier upstairs and carry it she did. When she met up with the gang they walked back inside the master bedroom and then Suzanne turned to the four prostitutes. "Um, would you care to stay in the master bedroom with us?" she offered. "Sure yeah, man. We are sick of sleeping outside. Outside is for dogs, and we ain't no dogs," accepted Sawyer. The four women then pushed their way inside and locked out Suzanne. Suzanne was offended and then banged her fists on the door and hollered to get inside until the door was unlocked and Thomas opened the door for her, appeasing his wife's anger. Suzanne then stepped into the master bedroom gaily.

While everyone was once more in his or her slumber, Zira was tucking the cubs into bed and the dog carrier was already opened. The cubs were on top of a zebra rug spread on the old mattress. A red comforter was on top of them and their heads rested on a pillow. Zira was nudging little Henrietta into the blanket and watched the four cubs snore and purr in their sleep. Henrietta brushed her tiny paw against the zebra rug and mewed. Then she unexpectedly started making swipes rapidly and with quick precision.

Henrietta then yowled and hissed and fought and struggled in her sleep. Zira then licked Henrietta's face and kissed her goodnight. Then she prowled to Kovu, who was on his right side, thinking about what had just happened. "Kovu, what's wrong?" inquired Zira. "I cannot believe this, Mother. Winda lured me into a strip club, and she was performing in front of all those guys out there… It was too much. She terrified me and made me uncomfortable and anxious. And yet… when she fell into the canal on the intersection at 0770 SW 90th Edgar Post Avenue and Sawyer Lane, I just couldn't abandon her. No matter how vile or nefarious or treacherous she may be, especially if she is anything like her mother, I just couldn't leave her. I can't," Kovu confessed to her.

"You know something, Kovu? I think you're getting attached to her. However, I'm advising you to be careful around her. She may be one of those femme fatale women. When you're least expecting it, she'll betray you to the wolves. She can charm you and gain your sympathy, but someday she'll turn her back on you. You'll see Kovu. You'll see," Zira informed him. Kovu had a vague dreadful feeling that his mother may be right. "But don't worry about it. In the morning, we're getting the hell out of here. We will check into a motel and breakfast at a fast food restaurant and try to find Payton's mother. If not, we're going to Zalira's lair to check on Payton and Finn, and if something screwy is going on, we will launch a rescue mission on the spot," she instructed. "But if we do find her, will we still go to Zalira's house?" piped in Kovu.

"If nothing sidetracks us, yes. But… We have to go to Montgomery County to talk to Mrs. Vright at the police station. They might be planning to interrogate her some more in the morning. And I think she might have some information on Payton's mother," answered Zira. Then she pecked Kovu on the head and then tucked him in. Then she drifted to her bed and then climbed in. Zira lowered her eyes and then fell asleep. Mackenzie was snuggling against Henrietta and purring contentedly. The long night was finally nearing its end, and Winda wasn't aware of it, but now Kovu was getting attached to her, more than ever.

**Author's Notes:**

**So you didn't see this coming, did you? I think the nightmare Zira had at the beginning of the story was a little foreshadowing if you think about it, kind of like a hint of Zalira's relation to Winda. I think Zalira is one of the most uniquely looking lionesses that have ever existed and already she is displaying her nasty and snide personality to Zira, just like she did when they were cubs. I think Zalira might be seeking profitable gain from selling Finn, since she seems to have some sort of financial value due to her fur color. I think Winda and Zalira have very similar personalities since the Tsavo lions stood in military formation to let her walk by just like they did for Winda in Chapter 3; there is definitely some sort of resemblance right there. Funny thing is, Finn is based on a baby Nala plush animal I got from a garage sale a couple of years ago and I thought she looked a lot like Simba. Not that I think about it, the toy I have looks a lot more like Nala, especially since I saw a picture on the Internet that looks exactly like the toy I have. **

**I looked up Winda's name and it means huntress or hunt in Swahili; Zalira means flower in Swahili also. I guess I wanted to give them names with a Swahili meaning and it took some doing but I found the perfect names for them; besides, Zira does mean hate in Swahili. I don't know what Payton means but I'll give the meaning in another chapter if I can. **

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	7. The Night At Zalira's Lair

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay, this is where the first controversial rape scene of the novel takes place. I guess this was my first actual rape scene; don't worry though, it's not too graphic but I think the other one after that might be pretty worse. In this chapter, Zalira brings Winda back to her apartment room and starts lecturing her on going out on the streets with Kovu, very similar to what Zira did with Kovu in The Lion King 2. Then she unleashes her pride on Winda and watches in stone-cold silence as Winda is savagely gang-raped by the lions while Payton stands witness to it. Meanwhile, Payton is held hostage in Zalira's room and is blatantly seduced by her.****Meanwhile, Tess McNeal drags Lena's dog Poodles along for the ride while launching into an impromptu rescue mission to find and retrieve Payton and it is not long before Suzanne and some members of Team Legacy stumble upon a severely injured and weakened Winda as she rapidly goes into shock and calls the paramedics on her immediately. Will Winda survive the trip to the hospital? What will happen to Payton and what exactly does Zalira want with him?**

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**_Chapter 6: The Night At Zalira's Lair_**

**Z**alira then entered her bedroom with her minions in tow and with Winda, now free of a muzzle and blindfold, clinging to her jaws. She then hopped onto the bed and wobbled on the water bed and then dropped her young daughter in front of her. Winda then turned around to face her mother and then stepped back in fear with her ears down and her tail straight and shaky. Zalira then faced her minions. "Leave us now. Go back to your quarters. I want a word with my daughter," she ordered. The Tsavo lions then left the bedroom and the security guards safeguarded the hallway.

Zalira then turned her attention to Winda and as she did Kovu, flipped her on her back and then pinned her with her paw. The young businesswoman then growled low in her throat as she glared at her lone child. Winda's breathing quickened and shook as she gazed at her mother in terror and tremors rocked her body. Her eyes dilated and widened in trepidation, not knowing what her mother wanted to do next, especially since she was roaming the streets with the son of her nemesis.

"My little Winda, I am pissed with you. You should have been home by now and instead I find you wandering in the streets of D.C. with an outsider! You know very well that Demurs do not mix with commoners, lowlifes, poor people, and especially outsiders and rogues! There are cats that eat Poor John as food. You are a privileged citizen of the United States of America and as a member of the Demur family you should live and act like it. Furthermore, you are a huntress, a strong, capable young woman and you should practice your leadership skills in preparation for being my heir apparent of my corporation."

"When I die, everything I own will be yours. But first you must prove to me that you are responsible, mature, and smart enough to take over from me. However, if you shame me and blacken our family name and my reputation, especially by running away with that rogue and carrying his child, your inheritance will be precluded long before my death, because then I will disown you. You must be superior to all the others. You're better than them, and you know that."

"The Demurs are destined to lead all of the prides of this world to victory, and we must outsmart and vanquish the humans! What's happening now in the 21st century is sickening me. We must band together and create our own society, by destroying all of the human nations. Once all of the human nations are destroyed, and the human beings conquered, we can set up prison camps all over the world and also create absolute monarchical city-states for all prides. And I will be its central ruler. The prison camps are for exterminating most of the human beings off the face of the earth. We can redesign all of the countries all over again and start from scratch. Not really so much their natural environment, but mostly their government, their military, their school system… I will only accept a number of strong humans who are willing to follow my demands and obey me without question."

"I also have devised some equipment that is capable of manipulating tectonic plates and triggering the supercontinent cycle. These continents will become one once more. Once our overseas empire is created and we have control of all the oceans, we can search the waters for natural resources. This city will be my capital, and my corporation will be the only prominent building to exist in this world, and this is where we will rule this land, earth, water, and maybe perhaps the sky. One day we will fly into space and conquer planets that will be of most important value, including Mars, Venus, Europa, Pluto, Uranus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, Io, and Shi-Shi, and I could also roam in other galaxies to take over other planets that may be useful. There may be other lionesses that might build corporations of their own, but none will be as powerful as mine own. You may never know, Winda. Finn may be the key to this plan to pulverize the human race," Zalira explained to her.

Then, her claws were exposed and she was just about to slit Winda's throat. "I know your main weakness is your sexuality and your attraction to men. It will get in the way of what you have to do. Don't let that rogue make you stray away from me. Remember, when you're the head of the corporation, you get to control my minions. But you're still just a cub. You will mature in time," she informed her daughter warningly. "You… bitch," gritted Winda through her teeth. "Don't you ever say that!" roared Zalira indignantly and then she brandished a whip and struck her daughter on the back. Winda screamed in terror as Zalira kept on whipping her on the back and then assaulted her on the face. "You can strip all you want, but you will never find a mate at your age!" shouted Zalira as she kept on chastising Winda. Then, she made a loud whistle and then the Tsavo lions strolled into the room. Zalira glanced at the lions and then to her beaten daughter, and then commanded, "Punish her."

The Tsavo lions then charged at Winda and to her horror they attacked and assaulted her. Winda's piercing scream rang in the night as she essayed to fight off the bigger lions. Zalira merely watched the attack and then shrugged. She snorted and then got out of the bedroom, leaving Winda to the mercy of her attackers. Payton was watching from behind the bathroom window and was stunned by the voracity of the attack. He could occasionally hear Winda scream in pain as one Tsavo lion kept on ravishing her. Payton bit his lip and knew there was nothing he could do. Who knows? He might be next. Finally the Tsavo lions fled the room and Winda lay on her back in bed, crying. Payton then rushed to her side and caressed her fur in order to comfort her. Winda just pushed him away. "Don't touch me, you bastard!" she hissed while enraged tears poured down from her eyes. "I'm sorry," apologized Payton sympathetically. "Sorry doesn't cut it, you asshole!" snapped Winda.

"Can I stay with you?" offered Payton. "I don't care," replied Winda furiously. Zalira then casually stepped into the room and glimpsed at her daughter. "Haven't I told you if you defy me, serious consequences will occur in this household? You don't learn, Winda. The more you disobey me, the more hurtful it will get," she chided Winda. She then closed the door and locked it. Payton was immediately afraid. This was a very bad sign indeed. Zalira was also clad in a blue bathroom robe, which was another bad sign. Payton knew exactly where this was going. "Young Payton, hasn't your father discussed with you the birds and the bees?" asked Zalira.

"Nope. He doesn't talk to me about virtually anything at all," Payton spoke nervously. Zalira then jumped onto the bed and then approached Payton. She then pushed Winda off the bed and onto the floor and was soon sitting next to Payton with a seductive smile on her face. Winda was blotched with fresh blood and small scratches decorated her body. She growled in an infuriated matter while her fur was frizzled and wild once more with that menacing look.

...

Meantime, Tess McNeal rose from her bed and then took a glimpse at Abraham Hershel, who was sleeping soundlessly. She then laid her head on top of his and then noticed that Payton was gone. Tess McNeal then started at the realization. "Oh no! Payton!" she whispered. Tess McNeal then jumped out of her bed and accidentally ricocheted on Lena's back, causing her to grunt. She then strode to the rich woman and then tickled her hair. Lena reacted by slapping her hand away. "Don't disturb me," she mumbled. Tess McNeal then went for Oxy, who was asleep with Oxygen. She then brushed her head with her hand, and Oxy subconsciously flinched. Suddenly there was a sound of scratching, and Tess McNeal cocked her head to see Poodles pawing on the window. She then ambled to the Shih-Tzu and gave him a brief pet on the head. Poodles yipped in her direction.

Tess McNeal spotted a leash and a collar and soon got an idea. "I'll take this pooch for a walk," she muttered to herself with a smile. Tess McNeal grabs hold of the leash and the collar and then placed the collar around Poodles's neck. She then attaches the leash to the collar and made a pull on the leash. Poodles then looked at Tess McNeal quizzically with his ears cocked suspiciously. _What the fuck is this? Where are we going? We better come back before sundown or Lena will kill you for this, _was the middle-aged dog's thought.

"Relax, boy. Hopefully we'll be back. If I get stuck in a jam, I'll unlatch this leash off you and you report back to Lena," Tess McNeal reassured him. _I've seen even crazier __bitches, but she is the craziest of them all. What does she want with me at 3 o' clock in the morning? Unless it's something perverted. __Bullcrap, _Poodles thought while grimacing and frowning. "We have to find Payton. He's disappeared," explained Tess McNeal. _Great! Kid's officially a runaway. He's probably sick of this penthouse as much as I am, _Poodles thought while crinkling his nose.

Tess McNeal then tried to think of a way to reach the penthouse, and then snapped her fingers when she finally came up with something. She then took a deep breath and then hydroelectric energy surged throughout her body. Tess McNeal then charged up her power and soon mist evaporated from her body. Poodles then stiffened up when he realized what was going to happen and then his thought was, _Holy __shit_. In a blink of an eye Tess McNeal shot up into the air like a rocket with Poodles dangling from his leash. He then landed on her back and then discovered that Tess McNeal was already in the air.

The feisty French actress was gliding at 200 mph. She was a sizzling, cooling, shooting star that was a fleeting spectacle in the April night. Tess McNeal and Poodles sped above neighborhoods, streets, schools, banks, and even police stations. One police station caught Tess's eye. She then bolted onto the sidewalk and then rebounded on the hard concrete ground before skidding in front of the station. Just then, a couple of police officers strode out with a suspect in their hands.

Tess McNeal recognized the person immediately. It was Mrs. Vright, and the old skeleton and bones peered at her hostilely. "I will remember your face, you she-devil tramp," she hissed coldly. Tess McNeal gasped and Poodles snarled and barked at the black hearted old woman. "Why don't you be quiet, you little beast," snapped Mrs. Vright. The little Shih-Tzu yapped even louder. "You leave him alone, you damn bitch! That's Lena Rosenberg's dog you're back talking!" Tess McNeal shouted at the top of her lungs. Mrs. Vright chuckled in glee and then spat in Tess McNeal's face, making her indignant.

"You and your fucking team. You think you can stop Mr. Piano and me? I don't think so. My Shadow will pulverize your Troubadour and will ultimately win. Someday, Mr. Piano will be the next President of the United States and you will all pay!" threatened Mrs. Vright. Tess McNeal only laughed bitterly. "People like you have made my Abraham bitter. Don't tell me that Zalira is involved in this too," she sassed to Mrs. Vright.

"Zalira has plans of her own. It is not my business to divulge her schemes to you. Mr. Piano will have his revenge," Mrs. Vright riposted back. "We'll get him yet. You'll see," vowed Tess McNeal. Poodles barked approvingly. _I love a woman who's acting like a big time __bitch. She's got attitude, _were his thoughts. "You're very spunky for such a young woman. I admire your courage," observed Mrs. Vright. Tess McNeal then got to her feet and then picked up Poodles. She then cradled him in her arms. "Where do you think you're going at this time of night?" demanded Mrs. Vright. "For a walk," was Tess McNeal's answer before she ran away from her. "Don't let me catch you smooching off to someone!" ranted Mrs. Vright aggressively. Tess McNeal was galloping through the streets wildly, desperate to get away from the old dog. She then looked down upon Poodles and then simpered sweetly. "Maybe that's why they call you trouble," she teased him mildly. Poodles hiccupped.

An hour later she and Poodles finally found Zalira's apartment building. Tess McNeal sets him down on the ground and then he scampered ahead of her. She then followed him as fast as she could. Just then they ran into a security guard. "Hold it. Who are you?" he interrogated them. "Tess Anne Jean McNeal. This is Troubadour "Poodles" Rosenberg," answered Tess McNeal. The security guard jumped when he heard the surname "Rosenberg". "T-T-That's her dog? Oh, excuse me! Please, please, come in, come in," he stammered. Tess McNeal then proceeded to enter the apartment building. As she ascended the stairs and crossed the hallways, she was awed by the seemingly endless line of security guards that were standing motionlessly with machine guns and Thomas submachine guns. Tess McNeal then found a door that read, "**Demur". **

A security guard then shoved the butt of his Thomas submachine gun into her face. "Hey lady! Demur's room is off limits. Now get out!" he barked at her. Tess McNeal balked at the sight of him. But she stood her ground. She knew what was like to be around security guards, especially rude ones. "Make me," she dared him while crossing her arms. The security guard lunged at her and then Tess McNeal went through him laughing and soon got into the room. He was filled with fury. "That woman!" he roared. "I must be dealing with a ghost!" He then noticed little Poodles yapping away at him. "Hey, little punk. Why don't you scram!" growled the security guard and was about to kick him out of the apartment when he was swiftly blinded by cold, icy mist. He was then shoved into the fence while Tess McNeal reappeared with mist condensing in her hands. "Hey buster! Why don't you try freezing your ass in the Sierra Nevada sometime?" she challenged him and then she released an outburst of energy and soon the hallway was shrouded by mist.

The security guards were rushing in the confusion and bumped into each other. Some of them collided so hard that one of them fell out of the fifth floor. Tess McNeal scooped up Poodles and then vanished back into the room. "Whew. That was close, right Poodles?" Tess McNeal breathed a sigh of relief. "Who is this?" importuned Zalira as she paced over to Tess McNeal. "Tess McNeal. I'm looking for Payton," replied Tess McNeal. "Aren't you that French actress who worked in the underground entertainment world as a singer and actress and crossed over to the mainstream and who was eventually killed by her husband?" inquired Zalira curiously. "The same one. How did you know about my past life?" confirmed Tess McNeal. "Newspaper addict. I'll read any damn newspaper I could get my hands on," retorted Zalira. "Really? That's interesting. What newspapers have you read?" questioned Tess McNeal. "Ah, Miami Herald, New York Times, Washington Post…" muttered Zalira as she shambled on to her bed.

"You also read the San Francisco Post, haven't you?" asked Tess McNeal. Zalira whizzed around and stared at her. "Why, yes… That's where I read about you, and your sister," she answered meekly and with a sheepish grin. Tess McNeal froze and braced herself to listen to any comment Zalira may have to say. The day Nessie died was one of the worst days of her life. She remembered crying and screaming over her sister's lifeless corpse in her own home. Even though now Tess herself was a ghost, she has not made contact with her dear sister for the last 26 years. But deep in her heart she knows that Nessie is very happy somewhere in the depths of Heaven, because she was a kind and altruistic creature. "I'm so terribly sorry about your darling Nessie. I really am. I could only imagine how awful it must've been to go through the loss of a sibling," Zalira sympathized uncharacteristically.

Tess McNeal scoffed in disbelief. "You don't know what it's even like to be human. You're just a cold, selfish, soulless monster," she accused. "I'm no human, but I do have human feelings," countered Zalira while glowering at Tess. "Oh really? Then what's THAT I see ON THE DAMN FLOOR?" snarled Tess McNeal with a sarcastic look on her face while pointing at Winda, whose paw was barely trembling from the vicious beating. Winda was gasping for air and her eyes seemed distant and glazy. Zalira then moved to Winda and shielded her from the actress. "Winda's as much as a bitch as I am," she defended her daughter. "Then I have reason to believe that she is a mirror image of you," declared Tess McNeal decidedly. "Where's my Troubadour!" bellowed Lena Rosenberg as she bulldozed her way into the room. Tess McNeal then switched her attentions to the infamous Queen of Hell.

"Oh, don't worry Lena. Poodles's here, safe and sound," Tess McNeal assured her. Poodles then raced to his owner and leapt into her arms. Lena then caressed her dog's fur and examined him closely. Then she turned to Tess McNeal. "I must say I'm impressed. You've done a good job protecting my dog from those bastards in this apartment," Lena praised her with one of her rare smiles. "I'm very handy at taking care of things that belong to others," boasted Tess McNeal proudly.

Just then, May, James Peterson, Paul Swimmerton, Drs. Rachel Walters and Mark Sloan entered the room and then May treaded to the weak and fragile Winda and placed her two fingers on her neck and felt her pulse. She then turned her head to the others. "I'm afraid she's dying," May announced lamentably with a shake of her head. "NOOOO!" screamed Kovu as he ran into the room and came to Winda's side along with Kiara. "Winda, we're going to take you to a hospital. You'll be okay. Please don't die," murmured Kiara while rubbing her head gently against Winda's. "Hello? Yes, I need an ambulance immediately. There is a lioness cub that is dying quickly. Hurry, please!" Paul Swimmerton called on his cell phone. "Okay, Mr. Swimmerton. The paramedics will rush here as fast as possible. This young girl will be taken to Children's National Medical Center. We'll drive her to Georgetown University Hospital where she'll be airlifted there," replied the 911 dispatcher.

"What should I do?" inquired Paul Swimmerton. "Find a blanket and treat for shock if present," instructed the 911 dispatcher. Paul Swimmerton then turned to Lena. "Mrs. Rosenberg, does she have shock?" he made an inquiry of her. "The hell she does. She's fading fast. Those bastards better get here soon or we'll lose her," was Lena's retort. Suzanne and Thomas Carmichael also arrived. Lena then approached her. "Don't stand there, Suzanne! Go to a bathroom and get a bath towel. Winda has shock. Someone attacked her," she snapped. "Not to mention raped her," added Dr. Rachel Walters. Suzanne then dashed to Zalira. "Listen, Zalira. If you are in any way the instigator of this vicious, cruel, and brutal assault on your daughter, the hospital will sue you for this," she threatened her. "The bathroom's to your left," was Zalira's rejoinder.

Suzanne galloped to the bathroom and then turned on the lights. She glanced around frantically and then found a dry, fluffy bath towel hanging on a hook on the wall and took it down. She then returned to her teammates with the towel and then threw it on Dr. Rachel Walters. The doctor then laid the towel on Winda and then Kiara climbed onto the bed and fetched a pillow. She then jumped down and placed the pillow under Winda's head. With her latex gloves on and a mask over her mouth and using her index finger, Dr. Rachel Walters took a swab of blood from one of her wounds and then scanned it with her eyes. "The blood is already drying. From the looks of it she has lost a lot of blood. 20 to 30% of it. She'll need a rape aid kit in addition to a blood transfusion," concluded Dr. Rachel Walters. Dr. Sloan then dashed in with an oxygen tank and then placed the oxygen mask over Winda's muzzle.

"How do you feel, Winda?" questioned Dr. Rachel Walters gently. "My body hurts a lot," complained Winda. "Do you know who raped you?" persisted Dr. Rachel Walters with her eyes intent on her patient. "Maluku did this to me," gasped Winda with a squeak in her voice. "He and his goons attacked you?" guessed Dr. Rachel Walters. "They all did. They hurt me," insisted Winda positively. "Do you know who made them attack you?" Dr. Rachel Walters questioned her. Winda sniffled with the chilly, hostile look on her face before answering, "My mother did this." Everyone was shocked. Lena then menaced towards Zalira with wrath emerging in her blood while the nefarious lioness cowered backwards in fear. "How dare you. How dare you do this to your own daughter!" she screeched in anger. "It was for her own good. She was running around with an outsider and disobeyed me!" argued Zalira. "Nothing you can say will justify the hideous deed you have bestowed upon your child. If I could I will rip out your black heart and destroy it. I will throw you to those same dogs that had deflowered your girl," scolded Lena viciously.

"If she is with child I'll disown her forever!" snarled Zalira. "Oh, but what if her rapist gets her pregnant! Then what do you do? Do you disinherit her then?" contended the wealthy New Yorker. Zalira then stopped and in a flash, charged at Lena. Lena braced herself for the attack. Zalira then lunged at her and soon they wrestled on the floor, grabbing for each other's throats. "Mother no!" yelled James Peterson in horror. "Well, there goes the greatest catfight in the world," commented Henry Rosenberg. Just then a Pikachu sped into the room in a cloud of electricity and rushed at the two women while sparks were emerging from her body. "PIKACHU!" screamed the Pikachu and then lightning flashed all over the room. She then landed on the ground and soon spun around Zalira and Lena rapidly. The electric energy in the room soon got so intense and powerful that a huge blast of light exploded into being and tore through the building. At that moment the paramedics arrived in electricity resistant suits and then scooped up Winda and put her on a stretcher while holding the oxygen tank and the oxygen mask to her muzzle and made away with her. At the same time, everyone was getting electrocuted.

"Fuck you, you stupid Pikachu!" Lena shouted. Finally the electric storm fizzled, and everyone lay on the floor, vaporized. Zalira's fur and hair was electrified and frazzled as electric currents seer throughout her entire body. She coughed and then hopped onto the bed and then snatched Payton by the throat and then soared out of bed and plunged out of the apartment building through the window. Lena then sat up from the electric fury and then looked around and soon discovered that Zalira had made her getaway. "Damn!" she swore. "The bitch got away again!" Then she turned to the Pikachu and glared at her while the Pikachu could only manage a foolish grin while her face blushed bright red in abashment. "Next time kid, don't try that combination of Agility, Shock Wave, and Volt Tackle when you want to break up a fight," the Queen of Hell growled displeasingly. Everyone soon got up and then stared down at the Pikachu, upset. James Peterson cleared his throat while Henry Rosenberg tapped his foot irritatingly.

"Rhonda Sarah Petrie," started Thomas. "Pika…" Rhonda hiccuped and then she transformed back into a Firebird. "Number one, Rhonda needs to control her powers, and number two, she should be paying more attention to the situation instead of running into it and electrifying everyone," Henry Rosenberg groused to James Peterson as they sat in a rented 2008 Nissan GT-R. "Don't blame her, Henry. She's only 15," pointed out James. "15 my ass. Teenagers don't pay attention to what they're doing at all nowadays," growled Henry Rosenberg as they made a sharp right turn. "Do you know exactly where we're going?" May importuned Henry. "When you're dead, you have an automatic sense of where you're heading. And I happen to know that this hospital is just around the corner," was Henry's answer. He then turned the corner and then Georgetown University Hospital was just over the horizon. Unfortunately, the parking lot was also besieged by news reporters, and Henry knew that Todd Foster had to be one of those reporters. He then slammed on the brakes and then sped to the hospital.

Once they materialized at the hospital driveway, they got to an empty parking space and parked there. Then everyone got out and soon was coming towards the crowd of reporters and flashes of light and clicks from cameras and the high volume of voices bubbling all at once. Just then, a perky, 4"3, spunky, pretty and eager faced, bubbly, female, long, floppy haired, brunette Canadian reporter with nylon cotton stockings, black strapped shoes, a woolly black and white checkered blouse, a ocean blue skirt, a handkerchief sapphire bandana and a blueberry cap with a night black tip got in their way and was attempting to accost Henry with some questions. "Hi! Aren't you Henry Rosenberg, the famous real estate developer from New York? I have some questions for you first off! Do you know the rape victim Winda Demur?" she addressed him. Lena then barged her way in and then gave the female reporter a hard shove. "How about this? Why don't you fuck off, you nosy brat?" she snapped at her. For some reason the Canadian reporter was unfazed to Lena's aggressive behavior and proceeded to courtesy in front of her. "Well, I must say I heard a lot about you too, Mrs. Rosenberg," she commented.

"And who you might be?" inquired Suzanne. "The name is April Beaucroft. I'm from Ontario, Canada. I just joined Todd Foster's team two months ago and now I'm his new partner," answered the giggly reporter with a smile. Suzanne was tickled pink by this infectious new personality. She was bright faced and enthusiastic and was very optimistic about the world. "Um, excuse us, Miss Beaucroft, but we have to go see Miss Demur," piped in Rhonda. April Beaucroft then directed her microphone to Rhonda and grinned at her. "Are you Rhonda Sarah Petrie of London, England? You are that little freshman at Winston Churchill High School, right?" she asked her. "Uh, yeah. I am. Any other questions?" answered Rhonda uncertainly. "What do you think of Paris Hilton, Hannah Montana and Britney Spears?" April Beaucroft persisted.

"First off, I think kids everywhere are getting brainwashed by Paris Hilton. Not everyone is going to be rich you know. Besides, I don't think she is a good role model for them. As for Hannah Montana, I could care less for her, although I just hope that she doesn't end up like Britney Spears. And speaking of Britney Spears I think she just needs to get away for a little while. She has two young kids that need to be taken care of. Frankly I'm not even sure if she's ready to go back into acting after all of the hullabaloo she's been through the last few months," Rhonda confessed honestly.

"Is this your opinion of them?" continued April Beaucroft. "That's my general opinion of them, yes," confirmed Rhonda while giving a nod. "And one more thing. I just hope that Hannah Montana does not regret giving up a normal childhood to be a teenage superstar," she also added. "Well! I'm impressed by your candor Miss Rhonda. Anything else to add?" remarked April Beaucroft. "Yes. I'm going to let Hannah Montana do what she does and I'm also going to respect her decision to do so and also in regards to her family," replied Rhonda. Just then, Lena Rosenberg pushed her way through and Rhonda had to step aside for her. She grabbed the microphone from April Beaucroft, unnerving the young reporter. "First of all, what's your business in interrogating us?" she retorted while fluffing up her hair. "My sources tell me you guys are in town and I just want to find out more information about you," answered April Beaucroft. "Uh oh. Nosy reporter," muttered Hugo to Laverne.

"So, do you love your dog very much?" importuned April Beaucroft. "Of course I do. He's my world to me. I adore him with all my heart," was Lena's answer. "What is your relationship in retrospect with your husband Henry?" was another one of April Beaucroft's questions. Lena blanched out before clearing her throat. "Well, Henry is also one of the most important people in my life. He's my soul mate and friend of course. We went through everything together, especially with the bullcrap in the late 80's and early 90's. I'm nothing without him," she replied calmly. "What about your goddaughter Oxy?" April Beaucroft went on. "That's Laverne's adopted daughter. At 3 years, she is already a very mature and responsible young woman. She has grown up at the rate that I've never anticipated. She is also an excellent mother to her children and a great wife to her husband Oxygen. And as for my children, they're already developing their personalities. My son Coffin is growing up to be a very brave and fearless young boy, especially since that he almost died at his birth. And my eldest son James is taking great care of them," Lena explained.

Just then, the helicopter was already up in midair, and all of the reporters scattered in different directions while snapping photos of the departing aircraft. Strong gales and wind currents were blowing in as a result of the strong force of the helicopter's propellers and Rhonda and the gang were watching wordlessly as the helicopter soared into the black sky and disappeared without a trace. Rhonda then turned to Tess McNeal and Suzanne. "Tess, Suzanne. Take the 2008 Nissan GT-R and drive back to the penthouse and rouse up the rest of the team. Bring all of them to Children's National Medical Center and tell them that Winda has been brutally attacked and raped and that she is in critical condition and could die."

"Also tell them that Zalira has run off without a trace with Payton and that we need to get him back," she instructed them carefully. "We'll do so, Rhonda. Don't worry about us," Suzanne reassured her. "Yeah, I'll drive," insisted Tess McNeal. "Forget it. I'll drive," Suzanne volunteered. Tess McNeal shrugged in defeat. She knew better than to argue with a veteran actress, especially when the argument is about who gets to drive a car. Suzanne and Tess McNeal strolled to the car and then got in and closed the doors shut.

Then the engine was ignited and soon the 2008 Nissan GT-R backed up in the driveway and then zoomed into the empty, quiet streets. Then, a limousine drove by, and the windows rolled down to reveal Todd Foster! He was sitting on a couch with a martini in his hand and then cocked his head to his new partner. "Hey April. Why don't you give those youngsters a ride?" he drawled, intoxicated. "That's great," accepted Kiara and then everyone got into the car in courtesy of the chauffeur. The chauffeur then closed the door and then got into the driver's seat and then slammed the door shut. Todd Foster was on the brink of being passed out. May and Lena were sitting on the left side next to him.

"Hey, Mr. Foster. Are you alright?" May made an inquiry of him. "Hey gorgeous. Let's say we get down and dirty in my place tonight," Todd solicited while mumbling in his drunken state. Lena slapped him across the face and this only made Todd Foster growl at her. Her reaction was to roll her eyes and look at the window. The limousine then glided into the streets and then screeched southbound into the interstate. "By the way, where are we staying?" was Kovu's question.

**Author's Notes:**

**I think this was an interesting chapter and it highlights Zalira's ambitions; I think she is just as ambitious as Mr. Piano and perhaps a lot more. She seems to be looking for bigger and better things and I think she is also just as arrogant, haughty and conceited as Mr. Piano. It just dawned on me now how much Zalira and Mr. Piano have in common, especially where their treatment of their children are concerned. As for that 2008 Nissan GT-R model, I had to look up on the Internet to find a good car for Suzanne and Tess to drive. Well, that rape scene with Winda could have been worse and it appears she is in critical condition. **

**I think it is obvious by now that Zalira is attracted to Payton and will stop at nothing to get him, even if it meant abducting him. Well, you know what they say: Great minds think alike; birds of a feather flock together, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I could think of another adage but now it escapes me. I also noticed how far this story is progressing. I think it's going at a very rapid pace now. We might be going in the middle of the story by now. The conflict's heating up. By the way, about Poodles, his real name is Troubadour because I never really liked the name Poodles since it sounds so silly and gay and it's just a nickname. Besides, I don't think Lena would really name a dog that. Everyone just calls him Poodles but his actual name is Troubadour.  
**

**Read and review!**


	8. Winda's Fight For Her Life

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay, this is Chapter 7! This is where things really heat up! Winda is immediately rushed to the hospital where she suffers severe complications and while there she learns a shocking family secret; meanwhile, Tess McNeal, Suzanne, Cliff and Buddy run into Zalira's older sister Nia and she warns them about Zalira's big plans and just how dangerous she can be. She also tells them of an old and rundown half-way house that serves as a base for a newly founded religious cult called the Children of Aquarius, with Zalira as its Queen. In the meantime, though, the five heroes gain entry into the Kingdom of Aquarius and are immediately ambushed by its members before being confronted by Zalira herself. And Rhonda and her team wait on word for Winda's condition as she grows progressively worse while her mental and physical health rapidly deteriorates. ****  
**

**_Chapter 7 – Winda's Fight For Her Life_**

**W**inda was rushed to Children's National Medical Center amidst telephone rings, a nurse calling over the AC, and sirens wailing in the distance. A doctor was pumping oxygen into her mouth and her eyes were taped shut while small tubes were connected to her nose. An IV was connected to her right arm and her heartbeat fluctuated. "Doctor, check her pulse," said one nurse. The head doctor puts his index and middle finger on her neck and listened to her pulse. "Well, I'll say that her heartbeat is beating quite faintly. We better rush her to the emergency room," he announced to everyone. Winda was then wheeled to the emergency room.

Once they got there, five people gathered to lift her onto the bed. "Ready?" said the head doctor. "Ready!" chorused everyone. "Okay! One, two, three!" ordered the doctor and then all of the doctors heaved and lifted Winda up and laid her on the bed. One of the nurses injected adrenaline into her IV to increase her heart rate. Then another doctor arrived with a soapy and wet sponge and scrubbed the young cub gently as to sterilize her wounds. Another nurse then carried in a bucket of water and then dumped it on Winda.

The head doctor then looked at her IV and saw that her heart rate had improved dramatically. A third nurse then injected a solution into her IV to stabilize her. The head doctor then got an electric razor. The sound of the razor buzzing woke up Winda and then she soon recognized that she was in the hospital. She then looked at the doctors hovering over her and soon screamed in pain. Her wounds stung.

"She's awake, doc," the nurse called over to the head doctor, and then he walked in to take a look at her. The doctor had a grandfatherly visage and he had a gentle smile on his face. He also had an inquisitive, curious, shrewish, yet compassionate and merciful expression. His gray-blue eyes twinkled in the light and there were some silver sideburns on his head, indicating that he was balding. The head doctor had a slouching stance and his face was wrinkled and rough, yet smooth. His skin was aged and covered with brown spots. He had on a doctor band and a simple white scientist suit with white formal pants. His sleeves had black marble buttons and so did his white suit. His jaw was round and smooth, and his salt and pepper eyebrows were furrowed and wild. He also had a long, narrow and thick nose and also had high, thick cheekbones. The head doctor also had a white, scratchy, snowy beard and a pair of small eyeglasses.

"Hello, little one. I'm Dr. Angel German-Zion," the head doctor introduced himself. Winda sat up in surprise and then winced from the pain that her wounds delivered. "What? You actually recognized me?" retorted Dr. Angel, confused. "My mother told me of a guy named Gilbert German-Zion. Do you know him?" inquired Winda. "Why, yes. He is my son," answered Dr. Angel. Winda then rested her head on her right paw and tapped her leg with her left fingers. Then she glanced at Dr. Angel again. "My mother took in a boy into our house. His name is Payton Jonathan German-Zion. He could be your grandson," Winda revealed to him. Dr. Angel was taken aback. His eyes quivered and dilated as his body shook in shock. He then adjusted his glasses and took a puff from his pipe. "Gilbert never mentioned to me he had a son. Not even once. And now I'm not even sure if you might even be my granddaughter too," Dr. Angel confessed to her.

Then he turned away from Winda and fell silent while he took another puff from his pipe and was in thought for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes glowed at the thought of a memory. Dr. Angel then turned his gaze to Winda again. "Let me tell you a little secret. Years ago, (I'm not sure how long ago it was), Gilbert visited me here in the doctor's office and told me that he had a relationship with a young lioness named Zalira Demur. Now, Mr. Piano treated her just like all the other girls he dated, but he was the one man that Zalira had truly ever loved. It was a very passionate, stormy affair, and although Mr. Piano and Zalira were very ambitious people, they had different ideas about a lot of things."

"Mr. Piano believed that women should be submissive to their male peers, but Zalira thought otherwise," he explained to her. "Mother thought that women should be the power leaders of our society. She attributes all of the problems that we have in the world to men, because she says that men tend to be more attracted to power and also tend to solve things by fighting and generating disorder, confusion and force. Women, however, should also use force and strength to solve conflicts, but in a constructive manner," pointed out Winda.

Dr. Angel wrinkled his nose in curiosity. "Interesting philosophy. Your mother must be a very headstrong and strong willed woman. Anyways, they had similar philosophies about how to handle things too. They both thought that children should be given the most severe punishment possible. They both also detested this generation and feel that they should be dealt with seriously by using drastic measures. As I can recall clearly, Zalira wanted to run for public office in state government. But, she reasoned, she had to hold various positions in order to win influence and consolidate her power."

"From there she could climb up the social ladder and then finally attempt to crack into the state government. But what was tearing them apart was that the fact that Mr. Piano had a notorious reputation for being an adulterer and an abusive lover. Zalira was pushed around, kicked, beaten, punched, whacked, struck with an open hand and with weapons, and frequently insulted and verbally abused. He would even push her down the stairs, nearly snapping her neck into two many times."

"She was bossed around and told what to do and what to say. Mr. Piano imposed his own plans on her and wasn't willing to listen to her ideas. Finally she had enough and was going to leave him when she discovered that she was with child. That child was a girl. When Mr. Piano found out about the baby's gender, he walked out on her and didn't speak to her for years to come. Mr. Piano even tested for paternity of the child and I still have it in my archives. I can get one of the nurses to fetch it for me," he continued. "Actually I looked at it recently, Doctor. The child was his. He's the father," interrupted one of the nurses and then she picked up Winda and then carried her to a sink.

Once Winda was set into the sink, Dr. Angel approached her with the electric razor. "You know," he began. "I think I know who you are." "Who can you possibly think I am?" scoffed Winda haughtily. "You, you are the daughter of Zalira Demur and Gilbert German-Zion," declared Dr. Angel with a twinkle in his eye and a knowing simper and then began to shave off Winda's fur as she tried to grasp what she had just learned.

...

Meanwhile, in the streets of downtown Washington, D.C., just near the barren and empty roadside, Suzanne and Tess McNeal were driving the 2008 Nissan GT-R just as the sky was beginning to be illuminated by the newborn dawn. "God that was a really long night," commented Tess McNeal, frazzled. She was periodically falling asleep and waking herself up in an effort to be alert. "No kidding. This may be one of THE longest nights of my life. Get some rest, Tess. You're not the one driving," Suzanne agreed. Then in a low, soft voice, Tess McNeal begins to sing, "That's What Friends Are For." Suzanne then joined in and they chorused for a full five minutes before switching to "Taking Chances." The two actresses sung each part of the song alternately while they tapped their hands to the beat and swung their bodies in tune. At the climax, Cliff and Buddy suddenly emerged and then they all continued to sing in unison. Then, the foursome concluded their song in a hymn.

Finally, Tess McNeal noticed that the two teenage fingerbirds were both sitting in the backseat of the car. "Cliff, Buddy. How the HELL did you get into the car?" she screeched in horror. Suzanne then peered over her shoulder and then frowned at them. "Well… There was a gap in the exterior of the car and Buddy and I managed to sneak into the car without anyone noticing through there," explained Cliff while rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Curse that bumbling, numbskull, cheap stake salesman who lent us this goddamn car!" swore Tess McNeal furiously. "It could've been worse," suggested Buddy. "Oh well that's just great, Buddy. Gee, thanks a… Oh my God I'm going to hit an animal!" Suzanne retorted and then once she turned her head back to the window she quickly realized that she was about to hit a lioness carrying a young cub in her mouth. She slammed on the brakes and stopped in the nick of time, for the car was merely 5 inches away from the lioness.

Cliff and Buddy darted over the women's heads like flies being swatted on a smoggy day and banged on the window like soggy, wet paper balls and slid off while making loud and audible screeching and squeaking like magnets trying in vain to be stuck to concrete. The lioness relaxed her grip on the cub and then got onto the car and began to eye on the actresses. She stood no more than 6"7 and was a powerful cat that towered the car. Her shoulders were short but wide and her neck was thick but muscular. They also had cardinal marked lines that crossed through them and merged into one straight endless line on her back and then split again on her legs all the way to her ankles.

The line also extended to the top of her head and ran down the middle of her face and there was a cardinal eye shadow around her eyes. The line also sliced through her neck and all the way to her underbelly. The lioness was a mixture of pure snowy white and marmalade bright orange. Her narrow, intense, focused, determined, hardened, powerful, fearless chestmere eyes radiated her entire smooth, rounded, cheeky, short and rectangular-nosed face.

Her ears were large, pointy, and oval-shaped. Although she did somewhat resembled a jackal, it was less apparent. The inside of her ears and her nose were bluish black, and unlike her sister, she had four full legs and a foot-long tail that was not deformed in some way. The lioness also had a small little gray mane that was underlying her head, making her look like a tomboy. The hairs in her ears were sticking out. It was Nia, Zalira's older sister, and she was now scraping the window with her claw in a detesting matter. Suzanne then unlocked the door and then got out with her hands up in the air. Nia then menaced toward her and then circled around her suspiciously. "Who are you?" she growled. "Suzanne Carmichael. This is my friend Tess McNeal, and Clifford "Cliff" Roscoe Martin-Foster and Bernadette "Buddy" Mae Foster-Martin, both aged 15," was Suzanne Pleshette's answer.

"Why did you leave my daughter all alone in the penthouse?" enquired Nia demandingly while she continued to circle around her. "We didn't even see her there. We were too busy dealing with Zalira's daughter Winda. She was ravished and buffeted by her henchmen," Suzanne insisted. "Liar! You're a liar! You handed her over to Zalira, did you not?" Nia accused her mistrustfully. "Yes I did," replied Suzanne, still composed and collected. "You imbecile! You should know that Zalira is not to be trusted! She's the black sheep of the family; she has murdered thousands of innocents without a thought of remorse. She seeks to strengthen her political power and get rich off selling infants and babies from the black baby market she sponsors in her corporation and she also auctions off unwanted orphans for slavery, especially teenagers. She also wants to found a space station society that has funding space ship programs and missions as one of its main functions and using certain space equipment for everyday use."

"She also wants to use the equipment she designs for her own gain. Don't you understand? Zalira wants to scam the federal government too by doing shady dealings behind the feds' backs!" Nia screamed at her. Suzanne was horrified. She felt faint. "The worst part is also that she hires criminals for slaves so that they can do her dirty work. She also holds an Iraqi girl that she had smuggled into the country hostage and she is hoping that the Iraqi government will come over and launch a terrorist attack on the United States once they find out about the abduction. And once she creates a team of superheroes, she will convert them into super villains and feed them dark energy to fuel their power and keep them in her control. She also has some animals whose characteristics are changed in order to make them stronger, more powerful, more ferocious, more vicious, and to demoralize them. Believe or not, she has done this to some of her employees and some of the customers that went to buy some of her products and never came back."

"Zalira also has harvested plenty of fetuses and did genetic experimenting on them. She keeps them in refrigerators and aquariums in the laboratory and they grow and developed for nine months enclosed in an ice egg pod that contains an air hole for them to breathe. If Zalira wants to, she can even infect the entire country with viruses and diseases, (also known as biological weapons), that she also keeps in her laboratory, as you may already know. She contaminates the products that she will put up for sale one day with these diseases and when people start buying the contaminated products and using them, they will get sick sooner or later. An epidemic will break out and if the police try to catch her, she'll just store them away in an old attic that is supposed to be condemned."

"Be careful around her. Zalira can deceive you and trick her by pretending to be caring and pleasant, but in fact she is only being that way so that she can entice you into one of her deadly traps. Heck yeah, she did get caught killing 10 cubs, but she might have killed a lot more. The problem is that she was never linked to those crimes, although she was suspected," Nia elaborated further while walking in a circle and then stopped in front of Suzanne but still watching her from a distance.

"So what do you suggest we do?" importuned Suzanne. "Catch her in the act. It's going to be difficult though. Zalira is a brilliant born businesswoman I'll have to admit but she is very good at putting up an image. And the one way she does this is by finding ways to use her products for beneficial uses and winning her clients' favor. That way they'll be more likely to trust her and won't even suspect her a bit if something is amiss. I also suspect that the Madame Aphrodite's Sexy Dancers strip club massacre might have to do with her. No one trains cops better than she does. Her police force is the best in all of Virginia. They do their tasks and duties without being told and carry them out so professionally and efficiently, it is almost frightening and eerie. It is almost like they rehearsed their missions beforehand. Not even the New York Police Department could measure up to that kind of skill and level. If you ask me, they could have gotten their training from Hitler's assholes the Nazis and the Spartans combined. I even fear her police force sometimes."

"I also hear rumors that Zalira funds a top secret terrorist program that no one – not even President Brush – knows about and also is the ringleader of a new religious cult called Newfoundia. It is the combination of the New Age Movement, Santeria and Pagan. The members of Newfoundia are referred to as Newfoundlars. If you ask me, Winda is also a member of the group and had been initiated into it ever since she was a newborn cub. Since Zalira is the Aquarius Queen, as a female leader of the cult is called, Winda is referred to as the Princess of Aquarius and is also treated as a very important member of the cult. You may have to come with me, to the halfway house on the rocky, jagged, uneven shores on the beach away from the city in Rhode Island. They named it Kingdom of Aquarius. Newfoundlars also prefer to have their group called "The Children of Aquarius." You have to see their place for yourselves though; it's not pretty," was Nia's answer.

"Well, we have to get to Team Legacy first. Winda's been badly hurt and has landed in the hospital. Some of Zalira's goons ambushed her and one of them deflowered her," pointed out Cliff, who has climbed out of the car and was roosting on the top along with Buddy and Tess McNeal. "I don't give a damn about your friends. Payton's the one who's in real danger. Zalira has made some dirty plans for him. You must hurry," Nia snapped impatiently. Suzanne noticed that Nia had long stopped pacing around her and attempted to reach out her hand and pet her head, but Nia simply just turned away. Then the lioness picked up Finn and then tossed her on her back and then led the four heroes towards the horizon just as the morning sun was beginning to rise.

...

Finally they were on an ocean side lighthouse property where the halfway house was. Block-sized rocks, coal, horse manure, grained hay and black sand littered the area. There was also some blood splattered on the ground and dozens of skeletons of former members lying around. Suzanne was greatly disturbed by the ghastly sight of it all. "My God. This is a slaughter house," she muttered to herself. "See what I mean? Zalira is the coldest blooded creature that had ever roamed this earth. My parents were greatly ashamed of her, and so was I. I had to get away from my family, so I eloped with my boyfriend, who has since long being dead. Don't ask why."

"You see yonder vultures and condors sitting on the roof of this house? They are her messengers and companions. Zalira brought them over from South Africa. Meerkats as big as bulldogs and as long and swift as greyhounds and as skillfully trained as Afghan hounds stand guard outside of the halfway house and watch for intruders. They're ferocious and fierce beasts that are deadlier than police dogs. Zalira stores children from Third World countries in here and some of them are from the Middle East. Maluku and his gang are Newfoundlars too."

"The children that Zalira smuggled from foreign countries are also members of The Children of Aquarius. The Newfoundlars perceive the general population as other members of the Zodiac Calendar and treat them as inferior species that are nothing than a disgusting slack of dirt. In other words, just because all these imbeciles were born in January, (forgive me if I offended anyone who was born in that month), they think that they are superior. That makes me sick. Let me do the talking, people. I know the secret password. It's in French," Nia retorted. "Wait! I might be able to find out the secret password for you," volunteered Tess McNeal. "NO! I'm the only person who can get us in," Nia refused. She then walked up to the meerkats and then one of them was hissing at her while swiping his grubby paws at her. "Le tuyau en bas, vous le monstre. Vous ameliorez ne m'attaque pas," Nia growled right back and then the meerkat's deference was to crouch down in submission and humbly bid her passage to the Kingdom of Aquarius. Her new companions trailed behind her and then they were stopped by a female Gypsy waif.

"Quel est le mot de passé?" the female Gypsy inquired her. "Le poison de serpent ou la mort a tout," replied Nia and then the female Gypsy turned her head around and then screamed into the doorway, "Votre Majeste, les etrangers sont arrives!" Then the female Gypsy gazed at Nia and then added with a scowl, "Le faire rapide, la chienne." She ambled away and then Nia and her allies finally got inside the house. Once they got inside, the room faded into darkness, and everyone could feel dark, shadowy figures approach them from all directions. There were a couple of low roars in the atmosphere and then Suzanne and Tess McNeal were seized by the necks by a couple of lions and were gagging because their airways were compromised and then they were thrown down onto the floor and remained there. Taska, one of the lions, snagged Cliff with his paw and clenched his body tight and his jaws watered with hunger as he slurped his tongue hungrily. "BUDDY! HELP!" Cliff squawked, panicking. "Um, Cliff, I'm in a jam too," riposted Buddy while Newman, another member of Maluku's pride, held her upside down by the tail while preparing to gobble her up too.

"Hi, welcome to the Kingdom of Aquarius. And who you may be?" a female Tsavo lion with a whispery, breathy voice greeted her. "Tess McNeal," choked Tess McNeal while she was gasping for air. All of the lions were jeering and cackling with mirth and were also howling with amusement at how four outsiders could drop by to the halfway house without notice. But then something lurked in the darkness and the lions immediately were silenced. The lights began to dim to life once more and then Zalira was revealed approaching the heroes. She then happened to spot her sister and then giggled with a smirk on her face before stopping in front of her and confronting her. "My dear Nia, so glad of you to come by for a visit," she mused graciously. "This is for business, Zalira and you know it. I think you stole away Payton in the dead of night when the paramedics rushed Winda to the hospital amidst a very electrifying brawl."

"I also believe that you took him away for some sick plot. I knew that ever since you were a young cub you had a thing for people younger than you," declared Nia accusingly and boldly. Suzanne was stumped and flabbergasted while she went livid with horror. She hadn't expected that kind of comment, especially coming from Nia. Zalira was incensed. She then lunged at Nia but Nia dodged her. Zalira then continued to menace towards her older sister. "How dare you say that, Nia! As for you, you were always the brazen one of the family. You're arrogant, rude, cynical, bitter…" she rebuked her. "You're a serial pedophile, Zalira! Do you not know that nowadays there is a federal sexual predator registry in effect and if you don't register yourself as such, that's a felony!" shot back Nia while snarling.

"Why don't you rot in Sam Hill, Nia? Huh? Is that what you want, Nia? To rot in hell?" screeched Zalira. Nia scoffed and blew on her silver tufts of hair. Zalira then turned to Newman and Taska and the female lioness that held Tess McNeal against her will. "Newman, Taska and Reline. Take those two women to their chambers and imprison them together for the rest of the night. Tie them on their backs and have them face opposite directions. Chain them to the bed post and at midnight, kill them," she instructed them, and then Suzanne and Tess McNeal were carried off to their chambers on the second story floor.

Zalira then switched her focus to the two fingerbirds. "And in the meantime," she added while a smile brightened her face, "Bring them to my office and put them in a birdcage. They would make interesting pets." At noon, when the office was shuttered up and Cliff and Buddy were napping in a small, light compact, can-sized copper birdcage that hung in the ceiling on a chain, Zalira was typing up some documents and was working on a letter to Mr. Piano. She then got up from her seat and turned off the computer monitor while strolling to a dog bed where young Payton lay in a drugged, feverish sleep and had been transformed into a small, gray, scrawny lion cub with whiskers and a black eye circle around his right eye and smudged black spots on his fur and white fluffs of hair on his head. His crooked ears twitched as he slept.

Zalira then hovering over the youth and a wave of passion overtook her as she sat there looking at him. He had captivated her from the moment she first looked at him. Zalira didn't understand why, but the beauty of younger people always seemed to interest her from her cubhood days. Something told her that she had to be mentally sick somewhere, but otherwise, what could she do? She might as well succumb to her lust for Payton. "Soft, my little Payton. Don't make a peep, for your ancestors are hovering over you. I'll be there, through foul and fair, until the day you're finally MINE!" crooned Zalira in a singsong voice. The room spun around in darkness, and misshapen, deformed, ghoulish, monstrous, zany, whacky and wild spirits of devilish aliens began to crop up out of nowhere and one of them, which was in a grey African parrot form, clung to the copper birdcage that Cliff and Buddy were locked up in and began to rattle and shake it.

"Hey! Q-Q-Q-Quit it!" stammered Buddy while her head was banging against the barred wall of the birdcage. "That's my stepsister you're messing with!" screeched Cliff threateningly and then he began to jab at the spirit's eyes with his beak. The spirit lashed his talons at Cliff and gave him a few slashes before a fingerbird knocked the birdcage down to the floor. The birdcage then began rolling on the floor once it crashed to the ground and then several fingerbirds swooped down and attacked. Cliff and Buddy were petrified beyond belief and huddled to shield each other from their voracity. Zalira then flicked on a lighter over a cluster of crunched up paper balls and then the office was set on fire! The fingerbirds soared, glided and flew at the cage and continued their assault with jabs, slashes, and pecks while their bird calls echoed in the tense and fiery scenery. They were demonic creatures coming straight from Sam Hill that arrived to descend upon their helpless victims and bring in misery.

Clicks and chattering could be heard in the background. Cliff and Buddy kept on screaming with all their strength while Cliff lay on Buddy to protect her. Zalira climbed on top of a computer for a better view and then the scene suddenly turned bright crimson and shadows illuminated her stature and gait while many more danced around. Payton still lay sleeping, completely passed out. "On top of a promontory, in the city of Hell, I am the deliverer of the damned and condemned. Fire spurts out from the pit and the smoke belches with rancor acid. My heart is black and my soul is none, but inside of me there is a pool of ice. To be rid of my sister is what I intend, and I'll execute a merciless killing that is just for her. In this ring of fire I can hear the screams of children go up in flames; my bloodlust boils in me, and I'll depose of those two simpleton parrots before the midnight hour strikes. Before Aurora shows her face to the heavens I shall flick the life out of the two dames that I now hold captive."

"Eventually the lives of so many children will end; parents will stream from all over to mourn their precious dead. If my plot is to be completed all of the young ones must die," Zalira belted it out in tune. She then leaped from the computer monitor and then walked alongside the burning, sizzling flames and soon reached Payton. Then, the musical tone, which had been blasting a serious, hair-raising, suspenseful, church choir-like melody, quietly lowered down to a harpy, mellow, soft whispery string tune as Zalira brushed her muzzle against Payton's motionless body and purred. The fire spouted out into nothing, and whiffs of smoke stirred in the cold, dead air. Cliff and Buddy were nothing but a dusty, ash black, sooty bunch of fowls. Their beaks were hardened into dirt and grime. They looked like miniature crows and felt quite out of place. "My prince lies asleep in his keep. I hope to bring forth an heir from his store. I'll make a man out of him yet and claim him my king. He is the one for me," Zalira sang in a lovely voice, careful not to wake him up.

Then as the church choir music began to play again, she cocked her head to the direction of the dark that loomed before her and her expression turned into a sneer. "Proud America, don't turn and look back. You will pay for your haughty ways; I'll make sure of that. The day of war will arrive, and you won't have to chance to survive. All of your people will die. Your towns and cities will fall, and your leader will cease to exist. Society as you know it will melt away," she decried in a loud voice while singing. Then Zalira lifted her head up to the ceiling and closed her eyes. "Ceci permettre d'être une malédiction sur toutes vos maisons. Laisser vos familles meurent un à un. Laisser tous les enfants souffrent des morts pénibles et déchirantes. Laisser les personnes âgées distribuent leur souffle dernier et frémissant. Laisser les adultes de ce pays meurent horrible, horriblement, les morts tragiques horribles. Ceci est ma prière à vous Sonon mon ancêtre, donc écouter votre descendant," she recited out loud.

Zalira then took out a potion bottle filled with black powder and then flung it onto the ground, causing smoke to appear. There was a glimpse of Zalira's malicious, cruel, cold eyes before she added, "Tout pour le bon de Sonon." And then there was the echo of the church choir music's climax as its effect was emphasized and then everything was quiet.

...

Meanwhile, Rhonda and Team Legacy were sitting in the waiting room at Children's National Medical Center and were anticipating word about Winda's progress. Winda's entire fur had to be shaved off so that she could have blood transfusion. The doctors also used the rape aid kit and determined that her rape had been brutal, violent, and rough, for her rectum was torn and bleeding. It was also decided that if Winda becomes pregnant as a result of the rape, she would have to give birth by Cesarean section, for it would take a long, long time to heal and her baby might get infections when delivered naturally. Winda was also ridden with infections and allergic reactions to certain antibiotics. This caused her heart to stop several times and her breathing to be labored. She even had seizures that knocked her out of consciousness and plunged her into comas for hours on end. Winda also had sores emerging all over her body and her eyes bleed for no apparent reason. Sometimes she would cough and spit out or throw up blood.

Occasionally Winda would hallucinate and even display symptoms what seems to be Tourette's syndrome. Just then, Dr. Angel burst into the waiting room and ushered Thomas to the hallway. "Mr. Carmichael! Come quickly! Winda is acting up again!" he urged him on. The two men rushed to Winda's room where Winda was busy hallucinating about being Charles Manson. "I'm going to start a race war, where all the black people and the white people will just kill each other! The world is ending soon," mumbled Winda dazedly and then when Thomas and Dr. Angel arrived, Winda switched to Minnie Riperton singing, "Loving You." Dr. Angel was puzzled. He just couldn't figure out what was wrong with his young granddaughter. "My God. Seizures, flat heart rate, labored breathing, hallucinations, showing some signs of Tourette's, infections, allergic reactions that come out of the blue from some of the antibiotics we gave her, comas… What in the name of St. Helen is going on here?" Dr. Angel gaped in awe and terror.

"It could be a new disease that might have the potential to morph into an outbreak," Thomas suggested. "Impossible! The only latest disease the feds are worried about is the avian bird flu. I think her mother is doing something to her that I just can't put my finger on it," disagreed Dr. Angel while scoffing. Just then Winda was convulsing wildly as her heart rate fluctuated erratically. Her IV machine was beeping. "Scram, man! Winda is having one of her heart attacks again. You kids better get back to your motel," Dr. Angel egged the elderly man on, and he soon fled as a stampede of doctors swarmed into the Emergency Room to treat the ailing cub. When Thomas rejoined his team, they instantly got up. "What is it, Thomas?" asked Minnie Rogers, concerned. "Winda is in cardiac arrest once more. We better get moving guys," Thomas explained. "But Thomas. Isn't it strange that Suzanne and Tess aren't even back yet?" pointed out Anne Margaret. "Yeah, Cliff and Buddy vanished into thin air too. They must've snuck out without us noticing," added Audrey Marlin.

"It's time we file a missing person's report to the Montgomery County Police. Does anyone want to take a trip there?" was Sophia Lopez's suggestion. Norma Alexander shook her head. "I'm not sure if it's such a good idea especially since they've been gone for 12 hours. But we can send out a rescue mission," she said thoughtfully. "I'm siding with her on this one," acquiesced Jack Lennon. "All right. But we have to drive back to the motel before we do anything. First… Is everyone hungry?" shrugged Rhonda. The entire team was hooting and howling with hunger. "Fast food! Fast food!" demanded Hallierella. "Why not go to Burger King?" Ariel questioned the young Englishwoman. Rhonda then thought for a moment. Then she snapped her fingers instantly, for she had an idea. "Why not Outback Steakhouse?" she suggested proudly. "Outback Steakhouse it is," nodded Maria. Just then, Thomas's cell phone rang and then he picked it up, opened it, and then held it to his ear.

"Hello?" he called. "Tom! It's me, Suzanne! Listen, darling. I'm in trouble," uttered a husky, throaty voice. "What? Why? What happened?" Thomas enquired her. "Tess, Cliff, Buddy and I ran into Zalira's sister Nia. She led us to a shabby halfway house that looks more like a butcher shop atop a rocky beach shore. Zalira has meerkats smuggled from South Africa that are bred into monsters and are being used as guard dogs. She even brought in children from Third World countries and from the Middle East. Nia managed to get us in by using a French password. There is horse manure, block-shaped rocks, coal, horse crap, blood, and real live skeletons around the property. Once we got inside, we were ambushed by Zalira's lions and a couple of them held us down while two more were planning to feast on Cliff and Buddy. To them, they were just another meal to snack on, regardless of whether or not they were from outer space. Zalira sent us to a second story room where we are tied on our backs and chained to a bed post."

"Now here's the worse part: at midnight, we will be slaughtered. I can't talk any longer, Tom. They might catch us sooner or later, but I'll say this: Zalira is rumored to be sponsoring terrorists in her company and is the leader of a newly created cult called The Children of Aquarius. We are at their sanctuary, The Kingdom of Aquarius. Ironic, right honey? A grand name for such a shitty place. She is also a murderous bitch, much more dangerous than we previously thought. Her penchant for slaying children runs very deep and she also can use the biological weapons that she stores in her laboratory to make her products liable for disease."

"Nia even accused her of being a sexual predator, and I suspect she abducted Payton so she can carry his child. I'm not kidding, Tom. I know, it's very sickening and she should be sent to a mental institution. And Tess wants to talk to Abraham. Give the cell phone to him and I'll put Tess on the line. She has a few things to say to him. I love you, Tom. If I get killed at midnight, the last thing I will see in my eyes will be you," answered Suzanne.

Thomas then handed over the phone to Abraham Hershel and then Tess McNeal got on the line. "Abraham! Oh I'm so glad to hear you! Talk to me, baby," she cried desperately. "Tess, what is Zalira plotting?" Abraham asked her. "Well, according to Nia, she has kidnapped an Iraqi girl and is trying to instigate another terrorist attack by having the Iraqi government come over here to bomb us. Like Suzanne said, she's very dangerous. Her police force is very deadly and they probably got more training than the Nazis and the Spartans combined. She sponsors the sale of infants and babies and also sells orphans as slaves. Zalira does genetic experiments on fetuses, some of her customers, animals and her employees and she also manipulates the superheroes she creates by turning them into evil and fueling them with dark energy for their power. She also has criminals for hired hands."

"Zalira also wants to set up a society composed of space stations that are designed for funding missions and putting some of the space equipment to use in daily civilian life. She also wants to use the equipment for her own purposes. Zalira didn't just kill cubs and animals; she has killed many people too," said Tess McNeal in reply. "So Zalira might be defrauding the federal government and be possibly committing a felony!" concluded Abraham Hershel, upset. "That's what it looks like. You better come down to Rhode Island after your lunch. I'm afraid things are going to turn pretty nasty. When you see ultraviolet light flash from the lighthouse beacon three times and you're on the west bound riding on the beach, that's where The Kingdom of Aquarius is. After the ultraviolet light passes, you'll briefly see Nessie in ghost form wink at you and giggle. That's when you know you're there," replied Tess McNeal grimly and solemnly.

"Are you going to see your sister again?" Abraham Hershel made an inquiry of her. "I might see her again this year. I could sense her presence around this building. Good day, Abraham. Hope to see you again soon," remarked Tess McNeal and then she hung up. "Tessie…" started Abraham Hershel but knew he was too late. He then sighed and slipped the cell phone into his pocket. Abraham then turned to his friends. "Come on, guys. Let's head to Outback Steakhouse. It's just down the road, two blocks down," he informed them, and then he and The Super Kids paraded out of Children's National Medical Center.

**Translation:**

Le tuyau en bas, vous le monstre. Vous ameliorez ne m'attaque pas:

Pipe down, you freak. You better do not attack me.

Quel est le mot de passé:

What is the password?

Le poison de serpent ou la mort a tout:

The snake poison or death to any.

Votre Majeste, les etrangers sont arrives!:

Your Majesty, the aliens are here!

Ceci permettre d'être une malédiction sur toutes vos maisons. Laisser vos familles meurent un à un. Laisser tous les enfants souffrent des morts pénibles et déchirantes. Laisser les personnes âgées distribuent leur souffle dernier et frémissant. Laisser les adultes de ce pays meurent horrible, horriblement, les morts tragiques horribles. Ceci est ma prière à vous Sonon mon ancêtre, donc écouter votre descendant:

This can be a curse on all your houses. Let your family die one by one. Allow all children suffer from painful and agonizing deaths. Let seniors distribute their last breath and trembling. Let the adults in this country die horrible, horrible, horrible deaths tragic. This is my prayer to you Sonon my ancestor, so listen to your descendant.

**Author's Notes:**

**So I'll bet you did not see that coming what Winda finds out about the identity of her real father, right? Well, I really don't know why that third English translation came out so funny though; the actual translation was supposed to be: "Your Majesty, the strangers are here!" I think it would be weird for that female Gypsy waif to refer to the good guys as aliens, with the exception of Cliff and Buddy. And yeah, in case you have not noticed already, Cliff and Buddy are actually alien birds that came from Planet Birdland, which is a world populated with fingerbirds. That fact alone didn't seem to phase Taska and Newman, who were clearly eager to make the two fowls their next meal. **

**And as to how the cult The Children Of Aquarius came about, I actually did a bit of research on the New Age movement, Santeria and the Pagan movement. The Pagan movement as a lot to due with the seasons and nature and it is very freestyle more or less without any strict guidelines or rules like most Western religions do. Santeria is a religion that was originally dated from Africa and it was even practiced a lot in Cuba; however, it seems to have gained a bad reputation due to its supposed connotations with witchcraft, voodoo magic, and the occult, which is very sad; my interest in the religion increased after watching an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit that dealt with the detectives probing into the religion after an immigrant African boy winds up dead. The New Age movement, however, was even more bizarre and intriguing, and I think one of the main aspects of that religion is that the people believe that using jewelry could help them heal from illnesses and the like, and I will hint though that there is going to be another new original character that holds such beliefs.  
**

**Since Winda is the daughter of Gilbert German-Zion, (Mr. Piano's actual name), and Zalira Demur, that makes her and Payton half-siblings and therefore they are both the grandchildren of Dr. Angel. I know there's going to be plenty of uproar resulting from this since people are going to be debating how it was even possible for a lioness and a human to produce a female cub, but I could care less. This is a fantasy superhero universe and anything in this world is possible, even having an animal and a human producing some offspring. As for the songs Suzanne and Tess were singing, "That's What Friends Are For" happens to be my favorite song of all time and "Taking Chances" was a song by Celine Dion that came out a year before and I immediately fell in love with that song and I still like it to this very day. **

**As for that infamous scene with Zalira singing out her desire for Payton and her intentions to make America pay, the song was inspired by Zira's song from The Lion King 2, "My Lullaby", and I guess you can say the imagery was inspired by that Hunchback of Notre Dame song "Hellfire". The song Zalira sings is actually called "Zalira's Reprisal" and I also wrote down the lyrics to the song as well in hopes of setting the music to it someday if I could ever make a song out of this one of these days. I also wanted to post the lyrics to this website but according to the rules I can't do that, so my only hope is to post them in this website's sister site that houses original stories and compositions, which I'm still considering on whether or not I should even get an account from there. **

**And when Tess McNeal informs her boyfriend Abraham Hershel on how to get to the Kingdom of Aquarius, this is the third time her sister Nessie is mentioned in the series and also the second time she even talks about her since her death. You might get a cameo appearance by her!  
**

**Read and review!  
**


	9. Trouble At Outback Steakhouse

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, here's Chapter 8. I'm sorry I took so long; I was busy with school and I'm still waiting for my partner Joshua-Sinclair to finish Chapter 10, which might take a little while. In the meantime I'll post in updates on some of my stories as much as I can depending on how busy I might be and such****. In this chapter, Rhonda and her team are now in Outback Steakhouse, which is an excellent restaurant. However, they soon have an unfortunate incident when Yubaba accidentally turns Rhonda into a dog and a dog-hating ****waiter almost had her thrown out until a mysterious, enchanted male Pikachu named Mitchell saved them; he then proceeds to reveal that he once worked for Zalira but when a mission goes horribly wrong, he was dismissed from her services and was transformed into a Pikachu. The Legacy also meets up with two S.V.U. police detectives named Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson, who were sent from New York to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse, cult intrigue and other crimes committed by Zalira.**

**Meanwhile, upon reaching Providence, Rhode Island by plane, they soon meet up with an elderly woman who is revealed to be Payton's long lost grandmother as well as the mother of one of Mr. Piano's former employees, also Payton's biological mother. The investigation heats up as they interrogate the old woman and discover Luella's true colors.  
**

**_Chapter 8 – Trouble At Outback Steakhouse_**

**4**0 minutes later, the heroes were exhausted and famished from trekking from the hospital to the restaurant. Lena herself was grumpy and irritated by the long walk. "This is idiotic! We could have just gotten a car, if we knew where Suzanne and Tess put it!" she complained grouchily. "Look! Outback Steakhouse!" shouted Judith, who pointed towards the restaurant. They have now reached the parking lot of Outback.

"Good work, Judith. Now we have to figure out how to get inside," Thomas praised her. Just then, however, Shadow was yapping at Poodles. She was intent on picking a fight with him. Poodles was greatly irked by this. He did his best to ignore her. Shadow was seething with rage. She wanted to fight him. She wanted to prove to this dog that she was the dominant one in the pack and that she was one of the strongest females around. Shadow snarled at him, not willing to give in without a fight.

In no time at all she got the result she desired. Poodles made a loud, distinct growl and then lunged at her. Shadow countered this move and the two were pawing at each other. She then clawed on him and nipped him on the nose. Poodles squealed in pain. He smacked her across the face and then nipped her on the muzzle. This was exactly what Shadow had been looking for. She then flicked her tongue on his muzzle. Poodles was confused. He then whimpered as he cowered in trepidation and panic and then scampered back to his equally distraught owner.

"Oh, you poor thing. Did that Shadow girl scare you? She must be a saucy little scamp, isn't she?" Lena cooed sweetly to her dog as she picked him up and stroked his back soothingly in a cradling motion. Then she glanced at Shadow, who then snorted without a care in the world. "You little tramp. I'll bet your master taught you how to sleep around," she sneered at the 5-year-old dog. Shadow scoffed and then turned away. Lena did the same. "So we're even," she declared. The heroes then shuffled right into the restaurant.

Once they entered Outback Steakhouse, Shadow happened to notice a Shih Tzu that was being bullied by a German shepherd. She then trotted to where the German shepherd was growling and intimidating the smaller Shih Tzu, who was also scared out of her wits. _Hey, baby. You either come with me or ya don't. You got no choice, kid. Someone's got to lay somebody,_ thought the German shepherd. Shadow was indignant. _Hey buster!_ she barked. _Watch who you're talking to._ The German shepherd then turned his gaze to her. _Well, hello gorgeous. I could fancy you myself. I'm not searching for anything long term. I'm just looking for a blow job, _was his thought. _Why don't you __fuck someone your own size?_ challenged Shadow while thinking.

The German shepherd then turned his head to Poodles. _Can I __fuck your sister?_ was his thought. Poodles just sunk his teeth into his leg and made him yelp. _Okay, man. God! Now, let me tell you something. We use the girl's bathroom as our very own brothel. You're in, or not? _the German shepherd invited him. Poodles then scoffed. _Maybe later, _he thought. _Okay, little dude. You're going to miss all of the action. See you around, _was the German shepherd's reply. He then trampled away with the Shih Tzu in front of him.

Rhonda and Team Legacy then settled down on a table and began to read from the menu. "Lena, don't you think Shadow's been acting a little strange?" Henry interrogated her. Lena made a wave of her hand dismissively while continuing to read from the menu. "Don't be a dumbass, Henry. Besides, if Poodles were to impregnate her, and she IS Mr. Piano's dog, then we have some explaining to do when we find him," was her crisp rejoinder. "Like he set up an example for her by running around with his secretaries and causing one of them to get pregnant with Payton," interrupted May, who happened to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"I was not talking to you!" screamed Lena indignantly while exploding at her employee. "Shut up! I'm trying to read!" Yubaba yelled and then she accidentally swiped Rhonda on the face with her wand and then Rhonda's visage was dissolving. "Yubaba! What did you do now?" Zeniba scolded her twin sister. "It was an accident!" protested Yubaba. And right before their eyes, Rhonda was transformed into a red and white Japanese Chin. "Uh oh," said Lilo.

Just then, the waiter came in and then saw Rhonda. "EEK! A dog in the restaurant! I'll get security to throw this one out! This is the ugliest dog I've ever seen!" he cried. Anna Moreno then looked at Rhonda. She still had her curly, wavy, long hair but now it was converted into fur. The actress then turned to the waiter. "Do you have a problem with Japanese Chins? Because we can leave right this instant if you don't mind," she retorted audaciously. "Nao. I'm getting rid of this mutt. I'll be taking her thank you very much," insisted the waiter. "PIKACHU!" shouted a male voice and then soon the waiter was struck by 200 bolts of electricity and he slumped to the floor.

The team then twisted their heads to sight a male Australian Pikachu coming in to the table wearing Wellington boots, clad in a leather, floppy, loose trench coat jacket, a laser pen strapped on his right arm, a white sweatshirt underneath, two earrings, and an 80's British black hair and of course some shades on his face. On one of the pockets in his jacket was an A-91 assault rifle, specially bought from Russia.

"На что Вы уставились?" was his retort. "Well, thank you for saving our leader. She's been turned into a dog by mistake," Anna Moreno greeted him graciously. "Il Mitchell del nome. Lavoravo per il dorso di Polizia russo in 1980, prima che l'unione sovietica ha sciolto. Poi questo Zalira di femmina ha assunto come uno dei suoi assassini e mi ha avuto ammazza qualunque nemico ha voluto dei morti. La ragione perché la chiamo una femmina è che un giorno ho fottuto su su uno dei miei successi, e ho finito su ferendo il bersaglio inteso invece di uccidere lui e facendo saltare certo il luogo nel processo. Ho finito su con una gamba rotta e certo una concussione di testa. Porto tuttavia la cicatrice da quell'incidente."

"Lo Zalira era orinato ed oltre a licenziare me, ha usato anche uno dei suoi oggetti di vudù che è consistito in una statua di Pikachu e poi ero maledetto diventando un Pikachu. Ero anche maledetto con un impulso per uccidere o sparare qualcuno quando prendo arrabbiato. Così, ciò è la mia storia che indovino," explained the Pikachu while taking a drag from his cigarette. "So you used to work for the Russian police, and then you worked for Zalira as an assassin, and then you were enchanted into a Pikachu and fell out of her favor after a particular mission went bad?" guessed Sophia Lopez. Mitchell nodded and then took out one of his boots and showed a red, hot, blistery scar that had inflammation and ran down on his left leg. He then put his boot back on.

"Come and join us," Melvin Bernstein invited him. Mitchell then got onto the table and then sat on a toaster. Just three tables across was an 11-year-old girl from England with blue eyes and black, short hair. She was also looking at a menu and then another waiter materialized to serve her. "Now miss. What would you like?" he offered her. "Chicken pot pie would you please," she answered. "What would be your side dish?" the waiter inquired further. "Duck spread on barbecue sauce," replied the girl. "Well, that is a lot for a girl your age," commented the waiter, before the girl gave him a mean, cold, vicious, hostile warning stare and then he stiffened in fear. "All right! I'll give you that damn meal you ordered!" he relented and then he scattered out of the way. Just five tables down was a light brown short haired Canadian girl who had just witnessed the chilling exchange. Marcia Williams was observing the little girl's behavior and was alarmed. Something just didn't sit right with her.

She then elbowed Bob Newton to get his attention. "Bob, look at the kid three tables across from us. She just gave that waiter a cold shoulder. She could be a villainess in disguise," Marcia confided in him. "Well, uh. She might be a school shooter waiting to happen," Bob responded. Then he suddenly took out his cell phone and dialed a number for he wanted to get a hold on Suzanne. The dial tone rang for 2 minutes. Finally, Suzanne got on the line. "Oh, hi Bob. It's me, Suzanne. What are you up to?" she answered. "Uh, listen Suzanne. We're going to get you after lunch. How are you hanging there?" Bob informed his co-star.

"Bob, I am so fed up with this halfway house. I feel like snatching some dynamite, lighting it up, and blowing the entire place down," Suzanne growled. At that moment, Holly Camden and Osama Berlin stormed into the restaurant and scanned the area for any empty tables. "Holly, do you see any empty table anywhere in this restaurant?" Osama asked her. "Hmm… Wait a minute… (Gasp) A dog! I want to see that dog!" remarked Holly Camden and then she happened to spot Rhonda sitting in the table with Team Legacy.

Then she had an idea. Holly Camden casually trotted over to the table and then leaned over the seat, watching over the team. Lena peeked over her menu and made eye contact with the New York Senator. The little girl then took out a bow and an arrow and then aimed at Holly Camden. "Mrs. Camden, look out!" Laverne bellowed and she shoved the Democratic candidate out of the arrow's path as it shot into the air. Claire Arnold then leaned over Marcia Williams and shot at the little girl with a 3.2 caliber revolver. The little girl then took out an AK 47 assault rifle and then fired back. The entire restaurant was soon in panic. "RUN EVERYONE RUN!" Bob Newton shouted at the top of his lungs and then sailed out of the window. Everyone else followed suit. Levernerella just stood there, filled with horror and awe. She froze still in her spot as the chaos lingered.

Emily Hartley lunged back into the restaurant and threw herself out of the barrage of gun powder and bullets while scooping up the 3 ½-year-old in her arms. She then smashed into a wall and stayed there, holding the young gargoyle tightly on her chest. "Everybody stay calm! Secure the area!" exclaimed a female voice. Emily Hartley was now passed out in the smoke-filled building. She lay motionless sprawled on a table with salts peppers, utensils, plates, and glasses overturned on the seat. The smoke then drifted from the restaurant and a newly created fire crept onto the shingles of the roof. "Oh my God no Emily!" panicked Bob Hartley. Just then, a man and a woman emerged from the shattered window smelling of stinking smoke and ash. They were Detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.

"Hey, is everyone all right?" interrogated Detective Benson. "You better believe it. Emily's still inside, and she could be in peril," was June Mathis's answer. "Okay ma'am. We'll go get her and all of you stay put," Detective Benson reassured her and then she and Detective Stabler climbed back into Outback Steakhouse. But then a miraculous thing happened. Heavenly light shined down from the sky and then an angel appeared. It was Nessie, with her pretty and beautiful smile and her hair still tied up in a ponytail and still looking radiant, healthy, young, and happy as she did 26 years before. The ghostly glow was transparent throughout her body and then she slipped into the restaurant. The detectives were lifting up Emily Hartley and were startled and surprised to see an angel showing up before them. "Hello, detectives. May I carry this poor soul out of this cursed building?" she spoke up.

Nessie then motioned towards Emily Hartley and then picked her up. She then conveyed her close to her chest and then floated up to the roof and went through the ceiling. Soon Emily Hartley was up high in the air lying in Nessie's arms. Bob Hartley was terrified and greatly afraid. He was having a panic attack. "Emily no! Please don't leave me!" he cried. "Drop her this instant!" demanded Zira. The docile and gentle Nessie then descended down from the sky and then landed safely on the ground. She then placed her hand flat on Emily Hartley's forehead and waited. Emily Hartley then opened her eyes and sat up with a gasp. Everyone broke into celebration. Bob Hartley rushed to his wife's side and then embraced her lovingly. He then turned to face Nessie. "Thank you," he gasped. "It's no trouble at all, Mr. Hartley. Now I have to help my dear sister fight back that evil, vile Zalira. I know she's trapped on the second story floor with your friend Suzanne. Let me help you," Nessie accepted graciously.

Levernerella then dashed to Laverne and Laverne hugged her daughter while crying tears of joy. Detective Stabler then approached her. "Is that your daughter?" he made an inquiry of her. "Yes that's my daughter all right. She's going to turn 4 this year. Her name is Levernerella, named after me," returned Laverne loyally. "You know, we got good news for you kids. We just located one of Mr. Piano's former secretaries, and she is located in Providence, Rhode Island. She lives in a roomy cottage sitting on a promontory overlooking the sea. Detective Benson and I have reason to believe she is the mother of Payton Jonathan Gilbert German-Zion. We are going to fly out on a 727 Cessna from Richmond to Providence and we can only take a few of you with us. Now, who would like to volunteer?" announced Detective Stabler.

"Well, there is one problem. I'm in the form of a dog, and that might be a problem," Rhonda groused. "Don't worry yourself, kid. We'll take care of everything. Now, any volunteers?" Detective Benson assured her. "I would like to go," declared Judith Beasley. "I don't think that is a very good idea, sweetie," Detective Benson informed her while bending down on her knees to meet her eye to eye. "Yeah. As far as I know about The Kingdom of Aquarius, it's a nuthouse. Not a good place for 3-year-olds," muttered Detective Stabler. "I'm 10," Judith corrected him.

"Okay. Anyone else?" crowed Detective Stabler. Mimi, one of the septuplets born to Lena Rosenberg, was squabbling to Detective Stabler while making raspberries at him. "Ahh, aren't you a scamp? Don't you sass me young lady," Detective Benson murmured. Mimi continued to squawk and fuss exasperatingly and demanded in garbled language that she wanted to come along. "All right. Bring in her, Elliot," Detective Benson decided while glancing at Detective Stabler with a concerned look on her face. "You're coming too, Rhonda," Laverne reminded her. "Why do I have to come?" Rhonda questioned her. "Well Payton's mother might have questions for you, first off. Second of all, she may want to know about Mr. Piano so that she could gain custody of Payton. You were one of his secretaries, remember?" Laverne explained to her. "Custody of Payton?" Rhonda stammered, flabbergasted. "Why? You want to get custody of Payton?" importuned Detective Benson. "Uh… Maybe," remarked Rhonda uncertainly. "I have one advice for you, young lady. Don't even think about it. Besides, you're still a minor and there is no way they're going to let you have custody of Payton," Detective Stabler warned her.

"Unless he becomes my brother through my parents by adoption," countered Rhonda. "But even then, would they be willing to take care of another kid? I'm sure you're enough of a handful to deal with," contended Detective Benson. "They did ask me a couple of times if I wanted a brother or sister," revealed Rhonda. Then she quickly turned away from the detectives and reflected at the sky in thought. _Mr. Stabler and Ms. Benson are right, _she thought. _Even with all of my smarts and all of my maturity, I will never be ready to take care of another child at this point in my life. I'm not ready to become a stepmother. Or a mother for that matter. But still, what if Payton's mother is as nasty as her former lover and employer? The government will make him ward of the state for sure. I'm not willing to let Payton go without a fight. Oh, what's the point? I may never see him again if he enters the foster care system. Maybe even for years. By the time I see him again, it'll already be too late. He might be an adult already and I'll already be married with children. Do I really love him? _A train of thoughts poured into her mind. _Do I really love him? _The thought persisted. _Do I really love him? Or I'm just as crazy as everyone else in this stinking planet?_

"RHONDA!" screeched Lena Rosenberg. "You better go with the detectives. Good luck though." "Are you all right, Rhonda?" Annie Hayworth asked Rhonda as she ambled to her side. "Annie. Be honest. Am I crazy?" Rhonda inquired. "Excuse me?" was Annie Hayworth's response. "What the hell is going on?" rambled Lloyd Dodgers. "Rhonda, don't doubt your sanity. You're just as sane as anyone else. Believe me, the rest of the general population is the one with problems," Lois Whitley pulled her aside and reassured her. Rhonda then looked deeply and intently into her eyes with a determined and firm expression of her face. "I'm not going to give up on Payton. Not yet. This boy needs our help badly. One thing is for certain. We have to deliver him from Mr. Piano. He is an evil father," she declared sharply. The detectives were stupefied and jolted by her quick change from contemplation to assertiveness.

"I'm impressed," muttered Detective Benson after nodding her head in appreciation. "Yeah. Talk about girl power," babbled Detective Stabler. "All right! Let's hustle people! Judith, Lois, June, Dr. Rachel Walters, Claire, Littlefoot, Ariel, Maria, John, Max, Cera, Ducky, Spike, Ruby, Petrie, Barbara Hershel, Vincent Marvin, Alex Fay, Mary Kay, Mary Kate Leningrad, Benny, Mercy, Marie Peters, Helen, Sawyer, Cadha, Cora, Ally, Fievel, Courage, Joan, Alexis Carrington, Klaus von Bugler, Sarah Lou Burke, Gale Gaynor, Minnie Rogers, Laura Perkins, Clifford Montgomery, Jean Simon, Abraham, Zazu, Mufasa, Sarabi, Maggie, James Titan, Michelle Hawkin, Ryan Sinclair, Tina Swallow, Kate Winslow, Celine Demount, Ella Dupre, May, Paul Swimmerton, Kovu, Kiara, Simba, Nala, John Milton, Kate Seymour, Charmaine Feathers, Jeanette Paris, Kitty Champagne, Aunt Voula, Nia Vidal, Mike Costello, Margaret Kinsey, Liane Kazan, Gia Carmine, Anthony LaPage, Joey Falcon, Johnny Fiddler, Hugo, Laverne, Victor, and James, yes you James, you're coming with me."

"Bob Newton, I charge you with taking care of Team Legacy until I get back. I'm very impressed with how you handled the situation when that little girl started firing from a firearm. And Lena, you better keep your eye on the team too. I'm charging you with helping Bob leading the team. Good luck with getting Suzanne and Tess out of The Kingdom of Aquarius," commanded Rhonda aggressively. "All right everyone. Let's head out back to the motel," Bob ordered and soon everyone followed him. "So you're in charge of Team Legacy now, huh?" scoffed Lena in disdain. "Yep," said Bob positively. "Let me tell you something. When they need to do something, you mean it. Do you understand?" Lena advised him. "I understand Lena," Bob reassured her. Rhonda and the others then boarded on the 727 Cessna and then Detectives Benson and Stabler climbed into the aircraft too. Everyone put on helmets and clicked their seatbelts on. The 727 Cessna was activated and soon took out into the skies. Mimi sat on Rhonda's lap and tugged on her hair hard and blew into it.

"Yuck!" grimaced Rhonda as mucus dripped on her hair like raindrops. Mimi hiccupped while laughing. "If you're anything like your mother…" Rhonda started in a low voice. Just then, someone else yanked on her hair and pulled it back hard. "AOWWWWW!" Rhonda gave out a painful scream. "Cut it out!" she snapped in an annoyed tone as she turned around to see who it was. Mimi's brother, Manuel, was cooing with laughter. "Hey! That's enough!" thundered James Peterson and then he grabbed hold of Manuel's arms and held him down. "Settle down, children. We should be there soon," Maggie Sinclair replied calmly. "We haven't been up for more than 40 minutes!" yelled Laverne. "Are you even licensed for this?" demanded Aunt Voula. Just then, ripples of waves were generated in the volatile waters down below. "Uh oh. This is not a good sign," announced Mike Costello as he peered down at the rough waves. Just then a rogue wave popped up and was heading for shore. "Holy shit! We better scram! A tsunami is approaching!" screamed Claire Arnold, horrified.

"Everyone stay where you are! Stabler and I will handle this!" barked Detective Benson. Just then, 10-20 huge, skinny whirlpools were gliding across the ocean. Lois Whitley was speechless. "Please tell me this is something out of a horror movie," she muttered while looking up at the water. "Yep. It's real," confirmed James as he followed the waves' movements with his eyes. Then he sat up and slammed his fist down. "Mother!" he exclaimed. "She could be in danger!" "We understand that, James. But we got to focus on getting to Providence first. Besides, your mother is a strong, fearless woman. She can take care of herself," James Titan attempted to persuade him. "Oh God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God, God!" May babbled while focusing her sights on the incoming whirlpools. "God please protect Team Legacy and Cliff and Buddy," Rhonda prayed feverishly.

Just then a lightning bolt flashed. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" yelled Gale Gaynor. Just then an even bigger whirlpool rose from the treacherous, black waters. The 727 Cessna was then unexpectedly ambushed by ducks that were flying in from the south. "Shoo! Shoo! Go away you pesky duck!" shrieked Aunt Voula while slapping away the water fowls. Judith Beasley was clinging to Detective Benson fearfully. Detective Benson then gazed at the young child star. "You okay, sweetheart?" she murmured gently. Judith nodded with wide, huge, pitiful eyes. "Hang on, guys! This is going to get nasty!" declared Detective Stabler admonishingly and then he charged through the shower of ducks and one by one, more than half of them were beheaded or mutilated. Some of the flocks of ducks had their wings amputated. "That's just disgusting," Celine winced while covering her eyes. "Cool. Roasted duck," commented Hugo while watching the gory slicing. "You're sick, you know that?" retorted Ella Dupre, upset.

Cora then lit up a match and then roasted the ducks alive as she exposed them to the burning match. Kitty Champagne and Gale Gaynor could only look at each other while frowning. "Haven't you noticed how nutty those twins are?" Gia Carmine asked Anthony LaPage. "Yeah. This is like a fireworks show," Anthony muttered under his breath. "I'll bet if Patience were here she'll shoot all of them dead," riposted Sarah Lou Burke. "Yeah. She's a terrible aimer," agreed Mike Costello. "Mike!" cried Liane Kazan. Eventually the aircraft sailed out of the flood of ducks and then was soaring to a cottage on the promontory. "YES! We made it!" whooped Nia Vidal triumphantly. "Well, I'm just glad we made it at all," remarked Joey Falcon.

The 727 Cessna then slid on the runway and then stopped short of the cottage. Everyone stepped out of the airplane and then trudged to the frost-strewn cottage covered in snow. The surrounding atmosphere was frosty and cold, and the air was crisp and cool. "BRRR! Now that's what I call cold," commented Kate Seymour. "Let's see if anyone's home," suggested John Milton and then he got on the porch steps and then knocked on the door. Footsteps thumped inside the cottage before the door swung open.

A bitter-faced, shrewish, wrinkled, aged woman with gnarled, rough hands, a hunchback, a square jaw and skinny, bony arms and legs was also wearing a periwinkle soft blanket around herself. She had curly cropped fine silver and black whippy hair and also had transparent glasses on her. When she opened her mouth, it revealed straight, white, clean teeth. However, her eyes were cross-eyed and squinted and her high cheekbones revealed some fat in her cheeks. Her large, narrow, crooked nose made her look like a witch. The elderly woman also had foxy, clever, suspicious purple/lavender/blue eyes that examined you thoroughly and seriously and made you feel at unease. Her arched, furrowed unibrow also emerged on her face. "Damn imbeciles. What do you want?" harked the old woman. "We want to speak to you about Payton and his father, Mr. Piano," answered Detective Stabler. The elderly woman huffed and snorted in a disregarding matter and then turned her back on the detective. "Come in, but don't touch anything," was her response.

The house was small and reminded Rhonda of the old cottage in the country that her parents used to own. Everything looked exactly the same, except for a few things: the couches were consisted of Siberian husky fur, there was a flat screen T.V. on the drawer shelf, there was cockatoo antique pieces stamped on the walls, the floor was tiled with patio stone, the furniture was mostly black and white, and the bathroom and the back door of the house that led to the promontory was at the end of the hallway. The one bedroom in the house had an attic door in the ceiling.

The old woman shifted her movement to the couch with her cane and then sat down. Everyone then sat down on the floor. Rhonda then sat down in front of the gang, and Detectives Benson and Stabler were on either side of her. "So what brings you here?" interrogated the old woman. "Well…" began Kovu. "Silence! I want this young man beside that teenage girl to speak first," snarled the elderly woman and then she motioned with her hand for Detective Stabler to speak his piece.

"Ahem. Ma'am, we would like to inform you about the whereabouts of Mr. Piano. Ms. Olivia Benson and I have been sent down from New York to investigate rumors of child abuse, cult intrigue and serial pedophile tendencies. Mr. Piano is currently on the run from the law and so far we can't pinpoint his location at this present time. However, we do know where his son is. Payton has been kidnapped by one of his former lovers, Zalira, and has been taken to a halfway house several miles away from this town. That house belongs to The Children of Aquarius, which has been founded fairly recently and apparently Zalira is the ringleader," explained Detective Stabler.

"And how would this pertain to anything?" inquired the aged woman. "The Children of Aquarius has characteristics of the New Age movement, Santeria, and pagan. One of these characteristics have to do with animal and human sacrifice and we also think that Zalira intends to use Payton for a sex toy just so she could have another child. She already has a 10-year-old daughter who's in the hospital for rape and assault and battery."

"So therefore she is a possible sexual predator and she is also a murderess and a very powerful and rich businesswoman who wants to build up her political power and gain influence in this country. Zalira is also suspected of patronizing terrorists clandestinely, away from the prying eyes of the government. She is also an excellent genetic engineer and also a very resourceful woman, and a crafty one indeed. By hiding her dirty schemes from the feds while performing legitimate business, she is henceforth a con artist who scams from the government. To make matters worse, Zalira also has secretly brought in plenty of children from other countries for illegal child labor and for her cult. Many of these children are members of The Children of Aquarius. The children that are in her care at her orphanage are sold and enslaved as well. Zalira is also very good with voodoo magic and enchantments. She is a skilled and experienced sorceress. If there is anything about Mr. Piano that you know that may be helpful to us, please say something now," added Detective Benson.

The elderly woman blinked her eyes and then yawned. She then scowled and hacked with a cough. "My daughter suffered all because of that Mr. Piano. Not all of his riches of the world will make her happy," hissed the old woman. "NOTHING that money offers will make anyone happy. And this world still hasn't learned that lesson," insisted Rhonda. "And yet my daughter took up with that bastard. And he caused her and me both misery and suffering. He took advantage of her and got her pregnant. And when Payton was born, I actually went to see him. He was the most unfortunate and sickly child in the world. My heart bled and cried for the little boy. Payton was shriveled up, ridden with infections, bleary-eyed, shivering, naked, pale, and wrinkled like a prune. He was a tiny mouse and yet was the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. I just could not fathom why he would be placed with such a callous, insensitive man like Gilbert. The justice system is riddled up with politics is what I say."

"If you want to see my daughter Luella, she is inside the bedroom smoking cigarettes and drinking a bottle of beer," growled the old woman angrily. Rhonda then wandered down the hallway and then came to the bedroom. She knocked on the door. "Come in," uttered a female voice and then Rhonda entered the bedroom. The lights flipped on and a pigtailed blond woman in her 40s lay on her bed drinking beer. She wore faded nylon blue jeans with holes and tears and a sweat stained sweatshirt. Luella also wore brown, worn out shoes and she took a deep breath. Rhonda took a whiff and flinched. Yuck! she thought. No wonder my mum doesn't want me to be a pig when I grow up. Speaking of which, what a pig! "Hey, what's up?" said the dimple faced woman with big breasts and a muscular-like body and well toned arms and legs. There was even a mole on her cheek. Her breath stank of pig poop and cigarette smoke. "Uhh, my posse and I are here to have an inquiry about your son, Payton," was Rhonda's answer. "Why should I care about Payton?" retorted Luella while drabbling beer down her mouth and the foamy liquor dabbled down her cheek.

"Because his dad is abusing him by yelling at him and spanking him in front of people! He is bullying and intimidating him! And the worst thing is that Payton is down at the halfway house right now probably being seduced and banged by a crazy, power-hungry, greedy, lioness businesswoman who wants to display her sexual dominance over him and who wants to have his offspring! Don't you think that's wrong? If you don't, then I WILL do everything legally in my power to get custody of him!" Rhonda rambled on furious. Luella laughed maniacally and took another sip of the beer. She then spat out sprays of the hard liquor from her mouth and nose while continuing to chortle in mirth. Luella then rinsed the foamy beer out of her mouth and onto her jeans, making a mess in the process. "YOU! How can you possibly care for a kid? You're just as much as a midget as he is!" she jeered and scoffed contemptuously.

Rhonda was now breaking into tears and seethed in pure wrath as Luella continued to laugh and insult her with disparaging comments. Bitter tears flowed from her eyes and dripped on the floor and she shook with rising anger. Now she had been pushed over the edge. Now she finally had enough. "Heck hath no fury for a PETRIE scorned!" Rhonda bellowed in a loud, blaring voice and then she charged at Luella with fire burning in her eyes and passionate energy rumbling in her body. She bared her teeth and fangs and her claws were outstretched. "FUCK YOU!" Rhonda screeched at the top of her voice and her claws and fangs were just barely touching Luella's self-serving, despicable, catty, smirking face…

**Author's Notes:**

**Well, here's another rare cliffhanger! About the old woman, she's going to become an important character later on and as I upload some of my other stories, including "Summer Brawl At Year's End" & "The Secret Of Jezebel's Garnet", she will eventually become an important character as well. I guess she may seem bitter and hostile to the newcomers at first, but she actually does care about Payton and as I send in more chapters it will soon become apparent just how much she loves Payton. As for Mitchell, he also appears in Summer Brawl At Year's End and referred to Rhonda as the enchanted dog as a result of this story. His past with Zalira will also be briefly explored further in that story. **

**What's also funny about Elliot and Olivia is that I had almost forgotten I had even put them in my story! This proves that "Revenge In Rendezvous" was not the first time Team Legacy has a run-in with Special Victims Unit. The only other time was in "Maude's Tuckahoe Saga", where the precinct become very well acquainted with Maude Findlay and her adopted son Omari; this was how Maude was able to contact them in the first place in Chapter 6 of "Revenge In Rendezvous". They might also appear in my funeral story "After The Funeral" since they seem to be intimately acquainted with Omari and his family. ****I have yet to continue that story anyway.**

**My updates for this story might be farther and fewer in between since I'm going to be busy for much of the year and I would like to keep my grades up. However, I might be able to write some new stuff whenever I can, such as the GR-Team Legacy which is slated to begin one of these days; I might even write a one-shot about Annie Caplan and Courage as they reminisce about their war experiences in the Inter-Dimensional Cold War.**

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	10. Brave Souls Roam and Fight

**Author's Notes:**

**In this chapter, Rhonda unleashes her anger on Luella but then ****James intervenes and stops her in the nick of time. Overcome with pure rage and consumed by her raw emotions, the young Englishwoman runs out on her older friend and retreats to the edge of the promontory where she is later met by him. While standing on the promontory at sunset, they soon meet up with the elderly woman who reveals herself to be a coloratura opera singer as well as a film and theater star; she also admits to being a avid participant in the New Age movement that specializes in the healing properties of certain crystals. But she also divulges some important information about Zalira and Mr. Piano and of her relationship with her adult daughter Luella. **

**Meanwhile, the gang soon run into the homicidal English girl they have encountered at Outback Steakhouse and she ends up holding Simba hostage after participating in a electrifying brawl with the heroes, prompting them to engage in negotiations in order to provide her an item that would satisfy her demands; it also turns out that this young lady was hired by Zalira to put a hit on Luella so she could successfully consummate her relationship with Payton without any interference. In their efforts to find something that would impress the evil little girl, the heroes stumble upon a whole heap of drug paraphernalia that ends up having Luella apprehended by Elliot and Olivia for a drug bust. **

**Also, this chapter hosts the most controversial rape scene yet, with Payton being gang raped by many of Zalira's cult members and eventually by Zalira herself before he is rescued by Suzanne Carmichael and Tess McNeal; he also becomes married to Zalira with the supervision of a reverend using some ancient old customs pertaining to the cult. **

**But then Payton faces the biggest tragedy of his life when he finds out that he has lost his long lost mother. And Cliff and Buddy get a surprising blast from the past when their old social worker dating from their first days on Earth after their initial exile suddenly drops by in the animal shelter they're imprisoned in and takes them to a reunion taking place in the orphanage they grew up in.**

**And here's the translation I forgot to provide in the previous chapter:**

На что Вы уставились?:

**What are you staring at**?

Il Mitchell del nome. Lavoravo per il dorso di Polizia russo in 1980, prima che l'unione sovietica ha sciolto. Poi questo Zalira di femmina ha assunto come uno dei suoi assassini e mi ha avuto ammazza qualunque nemico ha voluto dei morti. La ragione perché la chiamo una femmina è che un giorno ho fottuto su su uno dei miei successi, e ho finito su ferendo il bersaglio inteso invece di uccidere lui e facendo saltare certo il luogo nel processo. Ho finito su con una gamba rotta e certo una concussione di testa. Porto tuttavia la cicatrice da quell'incidente:

**The name's Mitchell. I worked for the Russian police back in 1980, before the USSR dissolved. Then this Zalira female took one of his killers and I had wanted to kill every enemy of the dead. The reason why the name is a girl that one day I screwed up on one of my successes, and I ended up hurting the intended target instead of killing him and blowing up some place in the process. I ended up with a broken leg and a concussion of some head. However, the scar from the incident port...**

Lo Zalira era orinato ed oltre a licenziare me, ha usato anche uno dei suoi oggetti di vudù che è consistito in una statua di Pikachu e poi ero maledetto diventando un Pikachu. Ero anche maledetto con un impulso per uccidere o sparare qualcuno quando prendo arrabbiato. Così, ciò è la mia storia che indovino:

**The Zalira was pissed and beyond to dismiss me, he also used one of his properties voodoo that consisted of a statue of Pikachu and then I was cursed to become a Pikachu. I was also cursed with an impulse to kill or shoot someone when I get angry. So, this is my story I guess.**

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**_Chapter 9 – Brave Souls Roam and Fight With Bleeding Hearts And Indomitable Spirits Purify Themselves_**

"**I**'ll vanquish you once and for all!" yelled Rhonda, enraged as she bit and nipped on Luella's arm, causing her to scream in horror and agony. James Peterson sped into the room and then pulled Rhonda away from Luella just in the nick of time. Luella was trembling with fear and fright. When pushed over the edge, Rhonda can be very vicious and nasty, if she chose to do so.

"Rhonda, this is not like you! What happened?" James Peterson reprimanded her. "She called me a midget!" Rhonda hissed. "Don't end up like Marie Frances, please Rhonda," James implored her. "You don't believe me? I can't believe you James!" Rhonda snarled, who was even more upset and then she jumped from his arms and then ran outside to the promontory. James then sighed and then murmured an apology to Luella before heading out the door.

Rhonda then was standing over a cliff at the promontory, humming a sad song as she witnessed the sun sink into the sky. "My soul is frail, I have nothing to keep. Nothing but my pride; nothing but my dignity. How can I bear this pain and sorrow anymore, why should I look forward to a new tomorrow? I cry out in despair and my brave soul weeps lamentably. I search for a place where brave souls roam and fight with bleeding hearts and indomitable spirits purify themselves. I search for a place where I can die in peace and where I can raise my face to the heavens and see God. My soul weeps heavy, bittersweet tears for the one love I hold dear, that one love I will forever keep in my heart. As I am a human, I seek to redeem myself and garner salvation. I seek transformation to an angel. I seek to see all of the beautiful things in life for myself," Rhonda sung.

"Hey, kid," called out James Peterson. Rhonda then spun around to see him. "Did you hear me mumble?" she asked him. "Yeah, that's an interesting song you got there, Rhonda. Listen. I've felt really guilty of what happened inside the bedroom. If there is anything I could make it up to you…" James started to say. "It's all right, James. I'm sorry too. I just got fed up with her, that's all. She toyed with my feelings and wounded my pride, and I had to do something," Rhonda attempted to explain.

Just then an ocean breeze blew in and Rhonda and James Peterson stared at the ocean view that was quickly growing dark. Leaves floated around and buzzed by, and their hairs whipped and flapped in the air. Rhonda knew that she wasn't really that alone in the world. Here she was on top of the cliff with the son of the Queen of Hell by her side at sunset.

Just then the old lady came by. "Oh, are you two here to see the sunset? I adore sunsets. That's one of the reasons why life is so precious. With all of the pressures in this modern war-on-terrorism world, this is priceless," she remarked. The elderly lady then stood next to James and then took a glimpse at him before turning her face back towards the sunset. "Aren't you Lena Rosenberg's son?" she interrogated. "Yeah. How did you know?" replied James Peterson while cocking his head to face her.

"A woman ought to know her own son. Just like a grandmother ought to know her own grandchild. Luella is a huge disappointment to me. I'm just glad I don't live in her home. It's a pig sty. If I could get to Payton I would. I wouldn't want that Zalira woman violating my own grandson. By the way, I told your teammates my name already. I haven't told you two though," said the elderly lady while concentrating at the dimming orange-yellowish-reddish sun.

"Just like a stepmother has to care for someone else's child, regardless of whether or not it really is her child," piped in Rhonda. The aged woman looked at her in a funny way. "I admire your perspective on things, Rhonda. You're an excellent team leader, and you're also a very brilliant young woman. America needs people like you more than ever. I could care less if you are his stepmother. That won't bother me. I don't think Luella would have a problem with it. She doesn't care about him anyhow. Initially, Payton was better off with his father than his mother, but I don't think he should remain in his custody. After all, he may be in danger," the old lady spoke out.

"But I think Mr. Piano has big plans for America too," Rhonda replied. "Of course. He wants to control the country his way," the elderly woman agreed. Then she fell silent. She remembered something. "My God, Mr. Piano also is the representative for the U.N. If he gets too much political power, he can actually usurp the director and take over and use the organization to interfere in other countries' affairs."

"Mr. Piano also committed some jobbery by allying himself with some communist dictators. They pay him a grand amount of money just for spying on the United States and its ally countries. My name is Maura McEnglish, and I was an opera coloratura soprano singer and a theatre and film actress. I'm also a New Ager who always wears sapphire crystal star earrings and also an amethyst amulet around my neck. I have some crystals that might be able to heal Payton just in case," she exclaimed in realization.

"Wait a minute. Do you remember if he has brought in nuclear weapons?" Rhonda persisted. Maura McEnglish gasped in terror and was ruffled. "Well! Let me tell you something. I heard that Zalira stole those nuclear weapons and stored them somewhere in The Kingdom. We better get going too in the morning. Your friends may need help," she scoffed.

Then she waltzed past James and Rhonda and then as she ambled towards the back door, she added, "And by the way, there's some chicken pot pie for dinner." That night, when the cottage was dark, everyone feasted on their pies dipped in chicken noodle soup. Detective Stabler slurped some noodles before hiccupping. Detective Benson fiddled with her food. "This is definitely some good stuff. The best chicken pot pie I've ever tasted," Kitty Champagne complimented Maura McEnglish. Courage nodded with his mouth full of food. "Yep, yep, yep," squeaked Ducky. "More please!" begged Judith Beasley.

"So, tell me. How you'd do these days?" started Detective Benson. "Well, I'm well off, more or less. My retirement funds support me handsomely. In my New London home by the ocean front, I would eat home cooked meals like this. I'm just so glad you guys came," Maura McEnglish said with an answer. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Littlefoot came to get it and opened it. It was Mariska Hamilton. "May I come in?" she enquired. "Oh yes! Please, come in!" Maura McEnglish welcomed her.

...

Mariska then got into the cottage and was surprised by the amount of people that were eating. Benny Crawford gave her a thumbs up with her mouth full. Just then, a reflection of a black haired girl grinning sinisterly and laughing silently while making a throat slitting gesture appeared on the window. Mariska then stopped and listened for any subtle sound. There was none, for there was silence. "What is it?" whispered Marie, while Kitty shushed her and also attempted to listen carefully. Rhonda was slurping from a dog bowl filled with water and cocked her ears in order to detect any noise. "Well I'm not going to stand there and miss all the action," Simba protested.

"Simba, I want you to stay close to me. Do you understand?" Sarabi told him. "All right, all right," Simba yielded reluctantly. Just then the little girl invaded the cottage through a window and then wielded a knife. "Hey, kid. Buzz off!" snarled Mercy Hillary as she confronted her. "Yeah. We're having a peaceful dinner and you're not going to ruin it!" added Benny Crawford and then she threw her plate at the girl.

The little girl then charged at the gang. Sarabi, Mufasa, Nia Vidal, Gale Gaynor, Mike Costello, Gia Carmine, and Liane Kazan stood up and then guarded the rest of their teammates and blocked the girl's path in order to hold her off. Judith Beasley then retreated to the dark hallway in fright and screamed as she went. Maura McEnglish followed her, not willing to let her out of her sight. Nia took out a shotgun and then shot at the little girl, who then took out two machine guns and fired. Gia then jumped, spun in midair and threw three electric blades. This knocked the little girl from where she was standing but she managed to rebound on another wall and then did a slow motion somersault while slinging three fireballs with a slingshot. Cera then made a huge leap and then bashed the fireballs away with her horns and then bombarded the couch and wall in the process.

The meteors then were shooting straight at the young girl and then she deflected them by using wind gusts and now it was coming back to the heroes. Maggie Sinclair and Kitty Champagne smashed into each other and generated supersonic high-energy waves from their bodies, causing the house to be swept in an uproar. The little girl then encased herself in hardening molten rock and then once she was shrouded in hardening magma, she then rapidly exploded in a huge blast of energy. Laura Perkins then desperately created an ice barricade to shield herself and her teammates from the upcoming attack. Gale Gaynor then turned to Nia Vidal in concern.

"Nia, what should I do?" she questioned her. "Just do what you have to do. Unleash your true power," Nia advised her. "Kiss my ass!" boomed Alexis Carrington and then she took out a bazooka and then shot out a missile. The missile shattered the fragile and thick ice barrier and then narrowly hit the girl before she dodged it by jumping out of the way.

James Peterson then tackled the girl to the ground and then grabbed both of her hands and attempted to wrestle with her. The little girl then flipped over her back and then he bashed into a wall headfirst. Then she proceeded to have a fast paced karate sparring match with Vincent Marvin. Just then a vine wrapped around a leg and then the 11-year-old girl slipped from the ground and then banged on the table with a thud. Aunt Voula then handcuffed her and then Alexis Carrington proceeded to have her chained to a table leg with an ankle bracelet locked to her left ankle. Kovu then hoisted himself on the table and then sat down in front of the little girl. She was very upset and sneered with contempt. Judith then arrived with Maura McEnglish by her side.

"Okay, what is your purpose of breaking into the house packed with people in the dead of night?" Detective Stabler interrogated her. "My name is Mary Bellum and I'm in allegiance with Zalira," answered the little girl. "So you're on her side?" inquired Detective Benson. "Yep, I was here to do a hit on the boy's mother," explained Mary Bellum with her cold, shallow, icy eyes still intent on the detectives' face. "Payton's mother? Is that who you were trying to kill?" interrupted Aunt Voula. "Aunt Voula, quiet," hissed Claire Arnold. "Where you're from, kid?" Laverne made an inquiry of her. "I'm from Scotswood, a town in England. I was born in 1957," replied Mary. "Do you know if Zalira has done anything to Payton yet?" interrogated Klaus von Bugler.

Mary Bellum then looked at him. "Who are you?" she asked him. "I'm Klaus von Bugler, sweetheart," he told her gently and with a smile. "Klaus has asked you a question. Have you any new knowledge of Zalira's plans for Payton?" Charmaine Feathers reminded her sharply. "I'll say that she is obsessed with him. She sees his mother as a threat to get what she wants: to consummate relations with him. So she hired me to do the killing for her. End of story," riposted Mary crisply.

"Excuse me?" sputtered out Jeanette Paris. "That's exactly what I said. She wants to bang him and in order to do so without interference I must get rid of his mother. I could also kill him if she asked me to, but even if she doesn't, I would do it anyway," reiterated Mary. "That's the sickest thing I've ever heard!" objected Mary Kay Beaumont. A devilish chuckle erupted from the young English girl as she mocked the heroes with her casually insensitive laughter.

Kovu was greatly disturbed and then he turned to Kiara. "Kiara, we have to save both Winda and Payton," he informed her. Kiara nodded in agreement and seriousness. Mary Kate Leningrad flinched and chattered on her teeth. Simba then essayed to pounce on her and Mary Bellum merely clasped on his throat and began to choke him. Simba gagged hoarsely. Mary then viewed the heroes and then stared at them in a cold and unfeeling way. Her eyes were motionless, lifeless, and dead. "If you let me off these chains, I will spare this cub's life," she offered.

"Oh hell no!" protested Ryan Sinclair and then Maura McEnglish glared at the boy while clearing her throat. She then turned towards Mary Bellum, unmoved, unfazed, and unruffled. "May we make a proposition?" she asked the young maiden. "Why not? I'll accept a trade. And it better be good," Mary retorted hostilely and coolly. "What is your favorite thing in the whole wide world?" was Judith's question. Mary Bellum then considered for a moment while bowing her head wordlessly and soundlessly and flicking a switchblade in and out while she thought out her options.

Fievel then skittered into the hallway and then raced to Luella's bedroom door and inched himself under it. Luella then started from her alcohol-induced sleep and then screeched to see a mouse just in front of her door. "Get away! Get away! Get away!" she exclaimed fretfully. "Luella, do you have anything in your room or in this house that might be of value to Mary Bellum? She is threatening to execute Simba unless we do something," Fievel enquired her while detailing on their precarious situation. Luella hiccupped and threw down her beer. "Why should I care?" she demanded, exasperated.

"I don't have time for this!" yelled Fievel and then poked his head under the door. "Sarabi! Mufasa! Zazu! Get into Luella's room right now!" he shouted while squeaking from the pressure of the door. Sarabi and Mufasa then ran down the door while barely avoiding decapitating Fievel's head by accident and then immediately were rummaging through the drawers, walking closets and piles and piles of clothes in order to find something that might please the child serial killer.

Detectives Stabler and Benson, Minnie Rogers, Clifford Montgomery, Abraham Hershel, Courage, Sawyer, Ally, Cora, Cadha, Ella Dupre, Celine Demount, Katie Winslow, Alex Fay, Jean Simon, James Peterson, Joey Falcon, Gia Carmine, Anthony LaPage, Nia Vidal, Liane Kazan, Mike Costello, Margaret Kinsey, Barbara Hershel, John Milton, Kate Seymour, Littlefoot, Cera, Ducky, Spike, Ruby, Petrie, Maura McEnglish, Kovu, Nala, Kiara, Ryan Sinclair, Michelle Hawkin, May, Paul Swimmerton, and Mariska Hamilton materialized to help in too.

"Oh fuck! Look at this mess! I've been raising my daughter for 30 years and what does she do to repay me? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Goddamn it!" Maura McEnglish raged at Mariska in frustration as she tore through Luella's clothes. In one of Luella's jeans, Cadha manages to find a $5 tip and then stores it in her breast pocket. Luella was bewildered, perplexed, and horrified that unannounced strangers were now invading her room as if she were a murder suspect. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM! GET OUT!" she hissed after watching the wild and desperate scavenging for 4 minutes.

"NO!" refused James Peterson and then he slapped a dirty, smudged, smelly T-shirt on her face. May then took a glimpse at him, surprised and shocked. "Please do not let me fuck up and act like my mother," James mumbled under his breath while reciting "Shepherd's Prayer", a prayer made famous by the astronaut Alan Shepherd. Cadha, who was excited by the game, then threw a large teddy bear at Luella. Littlefoot and Cera then tossed two scrapbooks into her face. Ryan Sinclair and Michelle Hawkin then dumped more clothes onto Luella's bed. Courage then knocked Luella's trophies, books, clothes, and toys to the floor while searching through the shelves. Cora couldn't resist the temptation of igniting the cigarettes on the ashtray on fire. "HEY! Put out that fire right now!" Kate Seymour ordered while pointing at her.

Barbara Hershel then opened up one of the drawers and was horrified to discover $150,000 in cash all piled up. Buried under the cash were a needle and a small Ziploc bag containing black powder. Kovu also dug out more bags of powder and needles from the closet, and Kiara and Nala did the same. Katie Winslow, Gia Carmine, and Nia Vidal shook down three pairs of blue jeans and more needles slid out. Maura McEnglish then peeked inside the closet and was terrified and aghast to discover 300 pounds of marijuana, 5,000 pounds of cocaine, 150 pounds of meth, 4,000 pounds of LSD, ecstasy, and 1700 bottles of cold medicines.

She felt faint, and she was about to collapse under her legs. Minnie Rogers uncovered empty beer bottles that contained messages. Just then, decomposing bodies of kittens and puppies dropped to the floor, provoking Alex Fay to give out a terrifying screech. Courage made the loudest scream he had ever made in his life. Detectives Stabler and Benson were disgusted and repulsed, not to mention dismayed.

"No, no, no! Don't tell me I just saw that!" mouthed Sawyer in disbelief. Liane Kazan was brought down to tears by the heartbreaking, dismal and tragic sight. Ally prayed for their souls. Celine Demount was wailing on Abraham's shoulder while Ruby hugged her. Everyone was saddened by the presence of the dead bodies. "This is not fair! This is not fair!" Cera spoke out angrily. "Me no like this. Me thinks the animals should have proper burial," agreed Petrie. "But where can we bury them?" pointed out Ducky. Courage's heart broke at the sight of the dead animals and he wept over them with tears running down his face. Abraham Hershel then placed his hand over his shoulder and then Courage turned his head to view him.

"It's a part of life, young man. It's part of life. But there is absolutely no excuse for lives cut so short," he informed him soberly and solemnly. Courage then wiped the tears from his eyes and sniffled. "This universe revolves around a simple circle of life. We are born, live for a certain amount of years, and eventually we die. There is a lot of unfairness in this world. You just have to deal with it, and if you can, change it for the better. You just simply have to make the best of your life," Abraham Hershel explained to the dog. Courage then gave him a strong and serious nod.

"Luella, do you really think that having two dead animals in this house is acceptable?" scolded Jean Simon. "You both sober up and take responsibility for your actions or you'll go to prison for life," added Alex Fay. "I think I found something," Zazu announced to the gang and then everyone rushed over to the night table where Zazu was resting and they were astounded by what they saw. It was a gassy, watery, yet icy, hydrate methane-like ghost egg that burned in both fire and ice and glowed and radiated with mortal and ghost aura energy. "Zazu, you're a genius!" Mufasa declared while chuckling. "I am?" sputtered out Zazu, who was clearly shocked for he didn't expected to receive that comment.

"That should be valuable to Mary Bellum. She will certainly hand over Simba with this item," replied Sarabi. "I've never seen anything like this," responded Katie Winslow in awe. "None of us have, Katie," retorted Celine Demount. "First of all, we'll call the authorities over to the house, leave all of the drugs sitting on the sofa, have the detectives arrest Luella on the spot, and then we can knock her out and make our getaway," suggested Joey Falcon. "Yeah, but who's going to knock her out?" inquired Anthony LaPage.

Just then, a tranquilizer dart stuck in Luella's neck and then she swooned on her bed head first and then was laid sprawled unconscious on her chest on top of her bed. Everyone then switched their focus to Maura McEnglish and was startled to see she held a tranquilizer gun in her hands. Spike then mumbled in garbled words in awe. "You own a tranquilizer gun?" enquired Ruby, curious. "Yeah, this is also payback for all of the bullshit she put me through all these years," answered Maura McEnglish while cocking her gun.

Detective Stabler then handcuffed the drugged Luella while Detective Benson read her rights. "C'mon, let's gather up all this dope and dump it on the sofa," urged Ella Dupre. "I'm right behind you, Ella," returned Celine loyally but then added after a moment of thought, "I'll return to the rest of the group and I won't even touch those drugs. They're disgusting if you ask me." "Do what you want, Celine. We're not going to use those drugs, I promise you," Ella reassured her.

Celine shrugged and then tentatively picked up the dead animals with latex gloves and while wearing a mask over her mouth and then made away with them. The group then accumulated all of the drugs they could find and they moved them from the room cluster by cluster. May and Paul Swimmerton even helped James Peterson and the dinosaurs carry some of the pounds of cannabis from the room. When they got back to their friends, four newcomers had already come to the scene. They were Jonathan Brandy, Joshua Pierce, Nellie L. Mooney, and Katherine Quinn.

"Whoa. Looks like we got some more backup," joked Paul Swimmerton. "Here. We got a rare ghost egg. Give us Simba back, and we'll be on our way," May snapped a little impatiently and then she handed over the ghost egg to Mary Bellum. Mary Bellum studied its components and composition and was greatly interested. With a smirk and radar sharp, intense, meticulous eyes, she then accepted the egg and then shoved Simba into May's arms. Simba then coughed hard and then scrambled in her arms before cuddling up to her chest.

"What took you guys so long?" he asked May demandingly. "Well, some things just take time, but I'm just glad we got you back," said May with an answer and then she tickled his nose. Mary Bellum then took a glimpse at the drugs and then looked back at the team once more. "Why you'd put the drugs on the sofa?" she questioned. "The authorities will come up to get them sooner or later once we contact them…" started Tina Swallow but then Jonathan Brandy cut her off by saying, "Which we already did." Tina cleared her throat and disregarded the interruption. "And then the detectives will escort Luella out of the house and take her to a nearby jail," she continued.

"Good work, Team Legacy. You helped us make a very successful drug bust and make a necessary arrest. Looks like now your leader will have sufficient grounds to have Payton adopted," Detective Benson praised the heroes as she and Detective Stabler wheeled a dazed Luella out of the house. Maura McEnglish just glowered at them and growled in displeasure.

"Don't blame yourself, Ms. McEnglish. I'm very sure you tried your best. Luella must've been a very bad seed from the very beginning," Detective Stabler assured her. "I'm sure my mother will be proud of all of us," chimed James Peterson confidentially. "Yeah. After all, who gets to make a great drug bust?" agreed May. "Well, maybe Luella was just manipulated by negative factors. Maybe someone brainwashed her," suggested Fievel. "Perhaps you're right kid. Perhaps you're right," considered Detective Stabler as he clicked his tongue and made a gun gesture at him before he and Detective Benson departed from the cottage for good. Mary Bellum then sprinted through a window and then sprang away from the house while making her quick getaway and stealing away with the ghost egg.

"Just to warn you guys, we have to get the ghost egg back in case Zalira has evil intentions with it," informed Sawyer admonishingly. "That could be possible," muttered Abraham while scratching his chin. Jean Simon nodded in agreement. "Okay. We have to get out of here before we're all accidentally arrested because of the drugs," Nellie L. Mooney egged them on.

...

Just then, Mitchell leapt into the house and there was a white Skycycle standing before the doorway. Katherine Quinn gasped in amazement. "Who are you?" she interrogated him. "Mitchell the Pikachu. Ah hey… It's that Japanese Chin again. And you know what? I just found an antidote for the spell you're under," remarked Mitchell while making a gentlemanly bow and then noticed Rhonda. "Well, I'm very, very, very proud of you guys. You did the right thing by alerting the authorities about this. Judge Trudy would definitely like to know about this," Rhonda told them with a pleased smile.

"I also took some photographs of the penthouse, the hospital, Winda, the Demurs' apartment, the wreckage of Outback Steakhouse, Mary Bellum firing at us, Holly Camden and Osama Berlin, and now the drugs in this cottage. I'm also collecting evidence as well," added Abraham Hershel while grinning. "Thank you, Mitchell. But let's see if I can transform myself back into a Firebird," Rhonda acquiesced and then she immersed herself with electricity and attempted to revert back into her Firebird form but then something was wrong. She was stuck in this form!

"Uh oh. Houston we have a problem," Rhonda announced. "I figured. Yubaba's magic must be pretty strong for you, and I suspect you are particularly susceptible to all forms of magic. So take this antidote right now and in exactly 72 hours you will be restored to your original form. But you will always keep this Japanese Chin form, because it is permanent. It does come with a couple of modifications, though," retorted Mitchell and then he tossed the burgundy potion to Rhonda and then she popped the cap and then jugged it down her throat. She then burped while covering her mouth in an attempt to be polite.

"It is 11:26 P.M. right now, and in three days you will morph back into a Firebird at the same time you drank the potion. Page or call me when it happens," Mitchell told her. Just then he stood still and twitched his ears and then when he turned around to face the horizon he was dumbfounded to discover that Holly Camden was approaching the cottage on a jet fighter.

"Gash! Holly Camden's coming! She might try to put the blame on us! We must flee immediately on my Skycycle," Mitchell warned everyone. Judith then scrambled for the Skycycle and then jumped into the driver's seat. Everyone rushed to the aircraft and then got into their seats. Mitchell then sat next to Judith Beasley, for he was skeptical that a 10-year-old girl can actually pilot a Skycycle. "Hey, aren't you that Canadian girl who was at Outback Steakhouse?" Victor enquired Nellie L. Mooney. "Yes I was. I was also watching Mary Bellum. We really should be careful with her," answered Nellie L. Mooney.

Judith then activated the Skycycle and then the plane took off in a speed of light. Soon the airplane was going at 200-1000 miles per hour, and the young girl was screaming with fear. "HELP!" she cried fearfully. "Don't panic, kid. Just use the controls properly and you'll be fine. Manipulate the speed to safe levels – we don't want anyone flying overboard. This is a very powerful vehicle after all and I've flown this thing for years," Mitchell instructed her.

Holly Camden then was in hot pursuit of the gang and was picking up speed. The Skycycle's speed was automatically increased and soon the crew was getting away from the New Yorker Senator. "This thing operates on voice command, so whatever you say it will do as you say," added Mitchell as he supervised Judith carefully. "Go faster," she commanded and then the Skycycle went even faster. It went so rapidly that it was now traveling at light speed. Holly Camden surely cannot keep up with them now! But then she pushed a button and then sent out a missile. The missile then struck the Skycycle and then smoke was drifting from the engine.

"Judith! Mitchell! We might be going down! Hilary just hit us with a missile!" yelled James as he observed the smoke materializing in the air. The Skycycle then was spiraling in midair and began to do a nosedive. Mariska Hamilton was petrified. For her, history was now repeating itself. When she was a young girl, her family used to travel all over, but then on a return flight from Houston, the airplane hit a strong turbulence and many people were injured, including her stepmother Elena. Only one person on that flight perished.

Mariska then surveyed the situation and held on to her seat. Judith was trying in vain to bring the airplane back up to its original altitude, and Mitchell was trying as best as he could to assist her. Rhonda was very concerned. If something was not done soon, everyone on board could crash into the Atlantic Ocean and drown. She then got into a hole on the back wall of the Skycycle and traveled to the engine. Once she was inside the engine, Rhonda connected and tapped a bundle of electric wires to her body and then began to charge up her electric power.

_C'mon, Rhonda. C'mon, kiddo. You can do this, you can do this. _Rhonda thought to herself as she struggled to revive her electrical powers that were being suppressed by the magic spell Yubaba had unwittingly cast on her. She then strained and grunted as nothing occurred. Now Rhonda was getting frustrated by this setback. "Why, won't, my, stupid, powers, come, back?" she spat as she banged her head against the engine beat by beat. Rhonda tried harder and harder to jump start the engine electrically, but it was no use. As the minutes ticked by, she knew that precious time was slipping away.

Thanks to Yubaba, this will be the end of her. She will be one of many people who had died long before their time. No sparks had erupted. Nothing was working as far as she knew. All of her screaming, crying, grunting, screeching, yelling, and shouts of frustration would not be enough to bring her powers. At last, Rhonda plopped down hard on the floor and sat there in astonishment and disbelief while retaining her gaping expression. "My God. Yubaba had finally done it. She finally took away my powers. Now my friends are certainly doomed. They will die a scary and frightening death by drowning right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Hopefully something will happen and I can die first," she gasped in grim realization and in a dejected matter. _Keep on trying, kid! Don't give up! Try something else, something that you can do,_ suggested a thought.

This jolted Rhonda out of her melancholy. "Who said that? Show yourself right now!" she screamed demandingly. _I'm Serling. I'm from another plane of existence. What is your name?_ The voice introduced itself. "Rhonda. My name is Rhonda," Rhonda said in reply. _Ahh, Rhonda. What a beauteous name. I suggest you think of something quick, before you and your friends kick the naval bucket,_ continued Serling. "Well, there is something I could do. Maybe I could kick myself to a good mood," was Rhonda's rejoinder. _Ahhhh, you're a very quick lady. A feisty one, aren't you? Well do something fast! _countered Serling.

Just then Rhonda's right foot flicked the lever down and then the young teenager got electrocuted. And at that moment she was at last connected to the electricity. The Skycycle rose in the air and then glided across the sky. "YES!" yelled Mitchell. "All right! You go girl!" cheered Mariska Hamilton while clapping her hands. "She did it!" chirped Judith while waving her hands enthusiastically. "I'm really impressed. Who's going to get payback by hitting Hilary now?" commented Minnie Rogers.

"YEAH! That bitch is going down!" roared Hugo and then he got to the cockpit. He then saw a button that read, "Fireworks" and then slammed his fist on it. Millions of crackling firecrackers shot into the air and then assailed Holly's jetfighter. She then fired her machine guns at the gang in return. "Oh no you don't!" Rhonda growled determinedly and then her fire force field shielded the Skycycle, consequently deflecting the bullets and causing the bullets to blast at the Senator instead. "Man gotta love America. You can kill off some villains, do your work, marry whoever you want, and compete in a dogfight with a Democratic candidate," mused Joey Falcon while snickering.

"Shoot some rockets!" rasped Laverne. "Aye, aye, Captain Laverne!" responded Hugo jokingly as he pushed another button labeled, "Rockets" and a dozen cluster of rockets zapped out and then Holly Camden's plane was soon bombarded severely and gravely. Her jetfighter was now falling apart and if she doesn't reach dry land soon, the plane would combust into flames and she would end up going down into the sea.

But she had a plan and a smirk emerged on her face. Behind her were plenty of caged falcons, albatrosses, and seagulls. Holly opened up the latch on top of the jetfighter and then released the birds one by one. Soon the birds were menacing towards the Skycycle while gliding carefully, silently and with stealth. "Attack the plane!" ordered Holly and then the birds began their assault, banging, screeching, clawing, scratching, pecking, jabbing, head butting, and body slamming on the exterior. Everyone was blinded. "I got an idea, everyone," declared Laverne and then she whistled for Gale Gaynor. Gale then came to her. "Okay, Gale. Listen up. Hit the button that says "Pepper Spray" and that will surely repel the birds. We'll also blast out tomatoes for good measure," Laverne instructed her.

Gale then approached the cockpit and then scanned her eyes around for the button. Finally she found the button that said, "Pepper Spray" and then tapped on it. Suddenly, a cloud of pepper spray seeped from the Skycycle and then hovered around it. The birds were excited and terrified and swarm around the aerial vehicle. A dozen auto cannons emerged from the Skycycle and then shot out tomatoes repetitively in a counterclockwise matter, knocking out some of the birds into the water and inflicting many others with a sloppy, soupy, red mess. Finally they flew away from the Skycycle in flocks of a dozen and went on to search for new ground. Holly Camden was furious. "DRAT!" she hissed and then frantically punched random buttons in a desperate attempt to defeat the crew. Homing missiles were launched and then crashed into the engine.

The Skycycle was now crippled as sparks flew by and smoke began to float out and a small ember was born. "Now we're talking!" Holly shouted in triumph and then she pushed a button that contained a really powerful weapon, "CRV7". The missile then flew out of the jetfighter and then tore into the Skycycle. The aircraft was now on fire! Marie Peters guarded Judith while Helen tried to calm everyone down.

"What was that?" screamed Aunt Voula who was now quickly panicking. "This is the second crash we had in this mission!" muttered Celine Demount while rubbing her temples in distress. Sawyer then boldly pushed her way through and then grabbed hold of the steering wheel and swerved to the east. The gang was now far from land and far from the U.S. mainland. "Sawyer! What do you think you're doing?" demanded Kitty Champagne. "I'm trying to steer us out of danger, you fucking goddamn bitch!" swore Sawyer.

Kitty Champagne lunged for the steering wheel and soon she and Sawyer were tussling for it as the Skycycle took sharp turns, circled around, did midair flips, performed spins and twirls, and also made a burst in speed and choked up to a stop. The Skycycle stopped dead in its tracks and was now descending to the ground. "Me try! Me try!" insisted Petrie and then he got on Sawyer's nose and essayed to control the falling airplane. "Get off my face, you birdbrain!" crowed Sawyer angrily.

"Petrie, get off!" grunted Cera and then she swiped Petrie off Sawyer's nose, causing him to squish on the side window. "That's it! I'm sick of you two fighting! Let me drive!" Maggie Sinclair spoke and then she shoved the two ladies out of the way and then adjusted the Skycycle to a steady course. "Watch out for that tree!" warned James Titan. Maggie Sinclair caught sight of the tree and then leaped over it just in the nick of time. "Cliché," she mumbled coolly and calmly.

The Skycycle then zoomed past a tree and stripped it of its evergreen leaves. Then an eagle was fluttering at the Skycycle and was intent on ripping it to shreds. Maggie Sinclair steered it to the right and then the Skycycle bashed through a bunch of trees before finally landing in a dark, crowded forest. The eagle then soared away without further incident. "What are we to do now?" retorted Aunt Voula. "This really sucks. We lost to a fucking Senator who's running for president," complained Abraham bitterly. "Where are we going to stay?" Kovu asked Sarabi. "Don't fret, dear. We'll find a place," Sarabi assured him. "Well! I must say I'm impressed by your leadership," Katie Winslow complimented her. "They don't call me a go-getter for nothing," uttered Maggie Sinclair while examining her nails.

"Let's just get out of the Skycycle. It's a useless piece of junk anyway," replied Littlefoot. "Littlefoot's right. We need to get going before it gets dark," agreed Ducky. Lois Whitley then strolled over to the engine and then lifted up the lid. There was Rhonda, who was completely fried and dazed and she giggled wildly. "Good work, kid. You tried your best. We're proud of you. I rather be stuck in here rather than die in the middle of the ocean," Lois Whitley praised her.

She then picked up Rhonda and then cradled her in her arms as she walked away from the plane. "If it weren't for Rhonda, we would all be lying in our watery graves right now. She's the one person we should really thank, besides Maggie," James told Kitty while she nodded as she listened. "Look over there!" bellowed Johnny Fiddler. "Who? What? Where? Ohhh… That's a lovely town," exclaimed Maura McEnglish. "Sweet. We'll be buying food pretty soon," commented Jonathan Brandy.

"Yeah, man. If it weren't for that enchanted dog, we'll be shark bait," added Joshua Pierce. "Thanks for saving me guys," Simba spoke up. "My little boy is safe once more," Sarabi crooned as she nuzzled her son's warm, lush neck. "Who wants McDonald's?" announced Aunt Voula. "Ugh… Voula!" snapped Paul Swimmerton. "Shut up and be quiet people! We need to find shelter first!" snarled Ally. "I wonder if there is a waffle house," commented Kiara. Mufasa threw back his head and roared out a belly laugh. "Kiara…" he started while continuing to chuckle

...

Meanwhile in the halfway house, Reline sunk her claw deep into a tree stump in the middle of the first floor and then dragged it down while gritting her teeth in rage. Her breathing quickened and her pupils dilated and with a grunt she thrust her claw into the stump once more and tore it down. The lions were roughhousing and prancing around in agitation. Two hours earlier, Zalira had administered some testosterone/adrenaline pills to them and they rendered them aggressive, restless, excited, and agitated. It dilated their pupils, increased their vision and sense of hearing, and advanced their heart rate and breathing rate.

The lions were thrashing and snarling angrily and there were sounds of growling, howling, and roaring. Newman attempted to get on top of Taska and he pushed him away and he tried to do the same to Reline, and she also turned him away. Saska, another one of the lionesses, yowled at Newman and then jumped over him to get his attention.

Zalira then stepped down the stairs while holding Payton by the scruff of the neck. "I WANT SILENCE!" she commanded as she continued to go down the stairs and then was met with strict formation and with everyone standing up straight. Zalira then stopped where she was and then set Payton down. Payton then tried to flee but Saska blocked him and with her low growling beckoned him to stay with Zalira. "You may go back to your formation, Saska," Zalira informed her and then Saska obeyed her and went back to her spot. "As everyone knows, whenever we receive a new cub into our home, we must initiate it into our group with a little formal ceremony."

"And since this is Mr. German-Zion's son, we must give him special attention. But now we have a double ceremony, where Payton joins our group and where I marry him," Zalira announced to everyone. Payton drew back in fear, but Zalira bent her head down and licked his mane. "I'll deal with you privately," she whispered to him.

Then she faced her pride once again. "The ceremony may begin," she declared. "No," Payton whispered as he once again leaned back in apprehension. Zalira then grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and then carried him to the tree stump. Once Payton was placed on the tree stump, Saska then smeared fresh rat blood on his forehead. Reline then rubbed buttermilk all over his body. Then Newman and Taska feathered and tarred him. The lions then began circling around him as each of them roared alternately. Drums, cellos, strings, and flutes began to play as Zalira chanted some incantations in Swahili and French. Then her eyes went blank and she turned to face the lions with a switch in hand. Zalira then twirled the switch and slapped it on her wrist. The lions then swarmed upon the young lion cub with their fangs and claws bare.

Payton screeched loudly and was petrified with fear. They tore at his fur and tugged on his ears. One of them went for his throat. They also whipped him with cat o' nine tails and yanked his neck with a noose, causing Payton to gag. Then Saska tackled him and began to ravish him. Then a crack from the cat 'o nine tail made a cut on the side of Payton's neck. Zalira then arrived with a worm dangling in her left paw and then stuffed it in his mouth. "Eat up, Payton," said Zalira while chuckling with pleasure. Wait until the marriage ceremony comes in. She then poured glasses of wine down into his throat and then fed him more worms and pig's bloody meat. Then Reline dumped vanilla ice cream on his face and Payton licked it off. Once Saska was done, everyone took turns having a go at it.

Zalira then did her part by trouncing him repeatedly with the switch. Payton then began to weep as pain surged throughout his body. "Coward! You're nothing but a coward! No wonder your father never approved of you and had to put up with you for 7 years! Take it like a man!" Zalira rebuked and criticized him and was scornful at his tears. "You're nothing but a cruel, sadistic monster!" decried a voice and then Zalira spun around with a sneering expression and then was startled to discover that Suzanne Carmichael and Tess McNeal were standing right near the stairs on the second floor and were not chained to a bedpost.

"How… How could you escape the chambers?" she stammered while standing there rattled. "Well, it's simple. Tess is a ghost after all, and she easily slipped out of the chains and also helped me out of them too. We subdued the guards and managed to come here. They did try to stop us, but Tess fooled them and I finished them off," Suzanne explained.

Zalira exploded. "Fooled by an old woman and her slut sidekick! Lions, get them!" she thundered. "I'm not the one who's a whore, it's YOU who's the slut here, Ms. Demur!" contended Tess McNeal, offended. Zalira was further enraged and then charged at Payton and right before their eyes began to flog him with her paws and slashed and scratched him. She beat and flogged him with a rod and bruised him in the process.

Then Zalira began to neck him and was lying with him. She was being consumed by his overpowering scent. She had finally fell prey to her lust, and Zalira began to excessively rub herself against Payton's body. Just then, Suzanne pushed Zalira off Payton while Tess McNeal scooped him up in her arms. Saska then body slammed her to the ground and Newman snatched Payton and brought him back to Zalira. Two more lions then handcuffed Suzanne Carmichael and Tess McNeal together so that they won't escape.

Taska then made a loud, clear whistle and then a middle-aged lion appeared. He was dark golden in color and he also had cloudy, misty, intense, grave, solemn amber eyes. This lion had a rugged, sagacious and rough oval-shaped face and wrinkles under his eyes and he also had medium thin cheekbones. His nose was rectangular-shaped and medium-sized. His fur was fine yet coarse and brittle as a horse's hairbrush. His shoulders were short and straight and his back arched nearly 90 degrees. He also had huge, wide paws and graceful, powerful, strong and tall legs.

The lion also had wide, open ears and were crooked. In the dark halfway house his fur looked almost brown but in the bright light they were actually dark golden. He presented a majestic and authoritarian-like visage and his presence caused those who dared lay eyes on him to be respectful and humble, even repent in front of him.

His name was Reverend Zachariah, and he was a minister who originally practiced Santeria and therefore was experienced with contacting spirits from different parts of the universe and even different planes of existence and even in a variety of different universes. He was the Newfoundlars' main spiritual leader and the one person who can make contact with Sonon. "Are you ready to marry, Zalira?" he interrogated Zalira. Zalira then whizzed around to face him. "Oh Father Zachariah! Yes, I am ready," she answered while bowing to him. "All right. This marriage ceremony won't take long. It will be in French," Reverend Zachariah decided. "I object!" cried Tess McNeal.

Reverend Zachariah then switched his focus to her and then smiled. "Le bon jour, la madame. Comment réussissez-vous?" he greeted her. Tess McNeal was incredulous. "Comment avez-vous su que je peux parler le français?" she inquired. "Je sais une Française quand je l'un vois, mon cher," was Reverend Zachariah's answer. Tess McNeal blushed, but kept her composure. She was not about to be swayed by this charismatic priest. "Vous êtes un homme sale, établissant des mariages entre un enfant qui n'a pas frappé même la puberté pourtant et une lionne adulte," Tess McNeal argued.

"Que peux-je dire? Ceci est tout pour le bon de Sonon," Reverend Zachariah replied to her with a sigh and while shrugging. "For the good of Sonon, huh?" Tess McNeal repeated while scoffing. Reverend Zachariah then showered Zalira and Payton with blossom, rose, buttercup, dandelion and daisy petals and cologne. With a rod he said a prayer for each of them and then kissed both of them on the forehead. Reverend Zachariah then took out an old, worn, torn book of prayers from his overflowing cardinal robe and then began to read.

"Do you take Payton Jonathan Gilbert German-Zion to be your lawful, civil mate?" he enquired Zalira. "By the solemn hand of Sonon, I do," Zalira replied. "Do you take Zalira Shelly Doris Kristy Demur to be your lawful, civil mate?" Reverend Zachariah focused his direction to Payton. Payton was sweaty and nervous. He didn't know what to do. He then turned to Suzanne with fearful tears pouring down his face as he quake. "It's your choice, Payton. Tess and I cannot stop you now," she mouthed silently yet sadly.

Payton then turned back to the reverend once more. "B-B-B-By th-th-th-th-the solemn hand of So-o-o-onon, I-I-I-I-I d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-do," the young boy sputtered as he rattled on as if he were on a jackhammer. "Oh God," Suzanne sighed while slapping her hand on her face. Reverend Zachariah then took out two diamond crystal amulets and then blessed Payton with one and placed it around the neck and he also repeated this procedure with Zalira. Then, he clasped the two amulets together with his hands and also laid Payton's right hand with Zalira's left hand.

"In the name of Sonon, I proclaim you husband and wife of the Kingdom of Aquarius," Reverend Zachariah announced. The lions then cheered wildly and were screaming with joy and began to clap and rejoice at the new union. "Praise be with Sonon!" rejoiced Saska enthusiastically. Then she turned her head to Payton and sneered at him. "I envy you," she leered. She then walked off.

Tess McNeal then shook herself free of the handcuffs and with a key also freed Suzanne of them and pulled Taska over and leaned over to his ear. "Who's that girl that just spoke to Payton?" she whispered. "Oh, her! She's Saska. She's only 16-years-old and she also dropped out of high school in order to join this cult. Saska is a street wise, tough, belligerent, energetic, sexy, sultry, and brilliant young girl. She's just somewhat lazy when it comes to her studies. But she catches on stuff pretty quickly. A very quirky girl if you ask me," chattered Taska. "Hmm. I see," remarked Tess McNeal.

Suzanne Carmichael then walked over to Zalira. "Excuse me, Zalira. May we have a word with Payton?" she questioned her. "Why not? As long as he doesn't run away from here in the first few hours after our marriage has commenced," Zalira sassed her. Suzanne huffed and then grabbed Payton's hand and then she and Tess McNeal took him upstairs. "Oh, and by the way, you just got in the cult!" bellowed Newman as he watched the trio go across the hallway.

"I can't believe it, Suzanne. I'm… married," gaped Payton. "Don't worry, Pay. Tess and I will help you walk through it. You definitely need a break after all of the hell they put you through," Suzanne reassured him gently. Payton then began to cry as he was sobbing between breaths. The elderly actress then wiped away his tears with the caress of her finger. "Listen to me, Payton. Going into a marriage is a huge transition to go through, especially if you're very young. There are kids older than you, especially 12, who are married. There are also concepts of teenage marriages."

"And most of them enter these marriages thinking it is all fun and games. It's not. If you don't do your part in the marriage, eventually your spouse will file for divorce and your marriage will collapse. Now quit crying, Payton. You can cry in front of Tess and I and even when you're alone, but not in front of Zalira and her goons. She expects you to act like a man, so you might as well try to act like a man. I'll bust Zalira's ass sooner or later. I'll report this to the police and I'll tell them everything that has happened here."

"I'm just glad I got Zalira off you before she could do further abuse on you. When we get to the room, I'm going to have another talk with you on what I might allow you to do and what I'm NOT going to allow you to do, such as rolling in the hay with Zalira for instance," she informed him. "This kid needs a psychiatrist," Tess McNeal suggested. "Of course! I'm going to phone one in the morning. His problems are very serious to warrant such a visit," Suzanne agreed heartily. The trio then arrived in the chambers and soon ambled inside and closed the door.

...

That very night, Zalira was shaky and sweating in her office. She couldn't believe she had just jumped into the marriage. She then got on her knees and clasped her hands together in prayer. "Oh, Lord Sonon, hear your servant's cry. It is she who begs your counsel this night," Zalira prayed.

At that moment light shone down in her office and then a ghostly figure appeared. He had the head of a jackal and the face of a wolf but had the body of a lion. He also had the gigantic wings, (which were on his back), and tail feathers of a quetzal. It was Sonon, and he was blue and white. His crest was of that a blue jay. His bold, fierce eyes were that of a barn owl and his snout was smooth, short, and pointy. His sharp canine jaws were that of a mountain lion.

Sonon stood at an imposing 7 feet and had a formidable stature. His arms were powerful sledgehammers that can crush any living being in sight and his feet were as powerful as a T-rex's. His ears were also as tall as a jackrabbit's. Sonon also wore a blue and black royal cape and also a black and white royal crown. He also held a golden yellow scepter that was carved into a form of a Thunderbird.

Zalira then crouched down in submission and waited for Sonon's command. "Arise, Servant Zalira. I congratulate you on your marriage to Payton," was Sonon's first command and Zalira stood up on her feet. Sonon snapped his fingers and then a group of nobles formed a high chair and then he sat on them. "So what is your question, Lady Zalira?"

"Ever since I was a cub, I always had feelings for people younger than me, and tonight on the 25th day of April I am wedded to a young prepubescent boy named Payton. What is your desire and wish, so I may carry it out as best as I can?" Zalira explained to him. "Hmm… Well, you know… Hasn't it been 10 years since you last had a child?" Sonon interrogated her. "Yes it has been 10 years since Winda was born," confirmed Zalira.

"Very well then! I believe it is good timing. You have married young Payton as soon as possible within my 50 day deadline, and now I'll give you a year deadline, so you'll have plenty of time. I shall give you 2.5 billion bullion of gold if you produce a child with Payton; I could care less about the gender. If a child is born within this year and it is Payton's child, I will pay you in full. But if 2009 comes around and if you're not pregnant and no child surfaces, you will spend the maximum of 5 years or more in my prison castle deep in the land of the abyss, **Prison of Clientele. **AS A SLAVE!" Sonon instructed her.

Zalira immediately cowered in his wrath and as an act of deference she crouched on her chest once more and laid her head on the ground in submission. "Yes, master," she complied, with her eyes still looking at him. "I practically raised you from the time you were a cub. YOU were willing to follow all of my orders, because of the belief that you are the Indigo Princess that is destined to change the world."

"You are a very special creature, Zalira. Society has cast you out because of your imperfections and I took you in as my own daughter. You were rash, audacious, bold, brazen, spoiled… and I took care of that. Over the years, you have grown to be a really mature woman who knows what her needs are. We need Payton too. He could be one of the important factors for one of our future master plans. That goes for that little Finn as well. Let me say one thing to you. You are a woman, and as a woman you should use your feminine wiles to charm men and lure them into your ultimate trap."

"Use what you know on Payton. Charm him, protect him, spoil him, love him… and in time he may fall in love with you. Once that happens, make your next move. Don't rush things, Zali. Just let things run their course and just take your time. But don't screw this up! I need new blood this year and all of my old blood has all grown up. Tomorrow, set up a lunch date with him and in few hours attempt to seduce him. After all, he is your new husband now," elaborated Sonon. Then he tapped her head with the scepter and blessed her. The light shrouded him and then he disappeared in no time.

Zalira could barely contain her excitement. It was her very first lunch date with Payton! She paced around in her office and then bounded onto her dog bed and curled up inside it. Zalira's tail then flicked back and forth slowly and faintly and with a smile on her face she finally fell asleep while dreaming about her intimate moment with Payton.

...

Meanwhile, in an animal shelter 20 miles away, Cliff and Buddy were incarcerated in a 5-feet-wide cell while roosted on a glued cinnamon broomstick along with some stray dogs. A social worker walked by and then dumped a newspaper into their cell. Halfheartedly, Buddy swooped down and then grabbed the newspaper with her talons and returned to the broomstick. She then opened up the newspaper and her heart stopped at the following headline and its succeeding subtitle:

April 26, 2008

The Foster Report

**Multi-Millionaire Corporate Boss Businesswoman Zalira Demur Weds 7-year-old Son Of Gilbert German-Zion**

_Written by: April Beaucroft_

_Late last night at a halfway house known as "The Kingdom of Aquarius", Zalira Demur married Payton Jonathan Gilbert German-Zion, 7, of Washington, D.C., Virginia in a private ceremony held by notable Santeria minister Reverend Zachariah. Not much is known at this point, except for the fact that Payton was taken to Zalira's apartment just days ago and then was stolen away to the halfway house in the dead of night. As of right now, the only facts that are known about Payton's life is that he was born three months after 9/11 and the date of birth is registered as 12/23/01. _

_His late mother, Luella Josephine Kathy Hahn, was a resident at Providence, Rhode Island and was also one of Mr. German-Zion's numerous secretaries. She was also one of his many lovers and from this relationship came Payton. Payton was born 8 months prematurely just as America was still reeling from a tragic national event. He was stricken with lung infections, kidney failure, and a heart murmur. Payton even had a brain tumor when he was a year old and as a result underwent surgery. _

_After a series of illnesses that included influenza, bouts of pneumonia, sinus infections, whooping cough, and a cut on a knee that got infected, his grandmother, the famous coloratura opera singer and theatre/film actress Maura McEnglish, took him to a doctor's visit out of concern for his health and at the tender age of 4, Payton was diagnosed with the dreaded HIV/AIDS virus. Ms. McEnglish was apparently devastated and confronted her daughter Luella about her son's illness and Luella then revealed to her mother that she too was stricken with AIDS that she had been living with for the last 4 years. _

_Ms. McEnglish even informed Mr. German-Zion about Payton's current health status and he reluctantly confessed to her that he had been dealing with the disease for the last 10-20 years, which is pretty amazing considering the current life expectancies for people sick with AIDS. Almost all of his secretaries have since been long deceased from complications of the HIV virus. _

_As for how Mr. German-Zion contracted the ailment in the first place, he was first exposed to it back in the winter of 1988, when he received a contaminated blood transfusion after he got into a really horrific car crash in which he sustained broken ribs, a fractured arm, a dislocated shoulder, and a split right shin. His left eye was punctured and bloody and he nearly lost his vision in that eye and now the left eye is weaker than that of the right eye. His liver was also lacerated and he also received a liver transplant just before he had a transfusion. His left leg was shattered and had to be amputated, and believe or not he has a prosthetic leg. _

_Apparently as he was going down a winding, isolated road in Dover to visit his mother, a drunk driver slammed into him and his car plunged into the icy cold, murky, deep canal. His disease is now reported to be in its last stages and his doctor informs The Foster Report that in his last checkup a year ago that he has given his patient only 5 more years to live and he estimates that the year 2012 may be his last. _

_As Luella has never expressed a desire to rear her HIV-positive son, her mother Maura, (who had been caring for her grandson for the first 5 years of his life), had supervised his treatment and raised him for a year before his father came by for a visit, picked up Payton, and never returned to drop him off at his grandmother's house. Later that year a local court ruled that the custody rights of Payton should be handed over to Gilbert German-Zion because, "Ms. Maura McEnglish was deemed unfit and unable to care for him." _

_The elder German-Zion has since resided with his young son in a penthouse that he and his future daughter-in-law Zalira co-owned together, despite of the rancorous breakup of their romantic relationship that resulted in Zalira having to raise their daughter Winda Sophia-Marie Demur alone._

**The staff at The Foster Report wishes to thank Miss April Beaucroft for her contributions to this article.**

**Luella Josephine Kathy Hahn, daughter of Maura Velma Ann Hahn Sawyer McEnglish, former secretary of Lord Gilbert German-Zion, former model for L'Oreal Paris, television personality, and infamous nightclub singer of early 90's New York scene, dead at the age of 33**

_Written by: April Beaucroft_

_Luella Josephine Kathy Hahn, the daughter of the celebrated Australian opera singer Maura Velma Ann Hahn Sawyer McEnglish and Lewis Francis Hahn, the influential newspaper magnate and founder of The Foster Report, has died at the age of 33 at 9:30 P.M. last night while being interrogated by New York detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson for alleged charges of possession and trafficking of drugs. According to Mr. Elliot Stabler, who was present at the scene, this is what happened. _

_"Detective Benson and I were down at the police station questioning the person in question about the presence of the drugs in her mother's house. Luella was very defensive and told us that she bought those drugs from some guy she met down the street that operated the crack house because she needed some drugs. Ms. Benson inquired her about the cash that was found at the scene and Luella swore at her in response and refused to disclose any further._

_ After 3 grueling hours in the police station, Luella broke down and then finally revealed that she was borrowing large sums of money from her childhood friend, (who also turned out to be a drug dealer), and never paid him back. She also elaborated on the fact that she had been helping him selling drugs and transporting and trafficking them from all over the country and to and from Colombia and Hawaii." _

_"She also went on to explain that she had pulled out life insurance on her own mother and had been planning to gun her down on her birthday. To make matters worse, she had withdrew $200,000,000 from her mother's account and also defaced her car many times. Luella also set her mother's house on fire 5 years ago and also attempted to blow up the house with a bunch of dynamite while her mother was entertaining guests in the kitchen. _

_Because of her rebellious, cantankerous and malicious nature, Luella's relationship with Maura had been estranged for many years and they hardly spoke to each other in months. Luella also hinted that she had a journal hidden somewhere in the house but refused to indulge on its location. She then excused herself to go to the bathroom and then left the interrogation room." _

_"An hour and a half past before Detective Benson and I went to the bathroom to check up on her. After Detective Benson rapped on the bathroom door three times to no avail, I kicked down the door and the two of us stumbled onto a grisly scene: Luella's head was blown off completely clean and was nothing but a bloody, squishy mash. Blood had spilled on the floor, and near her was a needle lying on the floor with a bit of heroin liquid left. Next to her mangled corpse was a .50 semi-automatic revolver. Also next to the needle was a bag of black powder and then Detective Stabler spotted a note stuck on the toilet and trotted to the toilet and ripped the note off and read it. _

_The note read, '__If you are reading this note, I am already dead, you __(blank)ing__ bastards. This life has been nothing but __hell__, and so therefore I decided to end my life here and now. If you find Payton, tell him that I have never given a rat's tail about him and that he is the weakest, cowardly, stupidest, disgraceful, disgusting rodent I have ever given life to. His father must be ashamed to have such a boy walking around with those pathetic eyes and that ridiculous voice of his! I hope in 3 years Payton dies and that 15-year-old __bitch__ never gets to adopt him! I also hope that when Gilbert dies that he is disowned in his will. He doesn't even deserve to be my son, much less be called a German-Zion or a Hahn!_

_Signed, Luella.__' _

_Hence, Ms. Benson and I have reason to believe that this case is a possible suicide by combination of drugs and firearms." _

_Born on November 11th, 1975 in Austin, Texas, Luella was known as a feisty and spirited tomboy and a notorious troublemaker as a child. She was more interested in exploring, hunting, shooting, riding horse back and wrestling with boys than attending school. She also frequented bars and saloons and drank beer with men, often without her mother's permission and knowledge. Maura tried her best to raise Luella to be a proper and elegant young lady, but it was not successful. _

_Luella was far too independent, far too wild, and far too much to handle. For example, when Maura was on one of her extensive tours in Australia, Luella, who was only 10, arrived wearing a light blue bikini and with her belly button showing. The tabloids had a field day with the incident and it was all over the Australian press, making Maura mortified and abashed. As her daughter's antics grew more and more frequent and more brazen and kooky, her attempts to discipline her got more and more futile. _

_Finally when she was 18, Maura finally kicked her out of the house and she packed her bags and relocated to New York, where she became a sensation. Luella earned her living by performing gigs at nightclubs and became infamous for her obscene and crazy performances. She had flashed more than once and often appeared on stage intoxicated. Some of the guests solicited her, and even paid her to sleep with them. But eventually her employer had enough of her eccentric behavior and had her fired. Luella then searched for more jobs and then came across a Hollywood producer that wanted her to star in a talk show. _

_So "The Luella Hahn Show" went on air in Detroit and for 5 incredible seasons Luella berated, criticized, teased, mocked, swore, taunted and made guests break down in tears as one of trash television's most profitable, bankable, and popular assets. But halfway through the sixth season, Luella was involved in a succession of scandals involving sex and drugs and even at one point she abducted a kindergartner at knife-point and held her hostage in front of the Foster Report INC building, where her father was the boss, and it took the FBI, the SWAT team, and even the DEA to negotiate for the little girl's release and bring her back home to her mother. Luella was arrested on charges for kidnapping and holding a minor against his/her will and battery and was convicted of those charges and sent to a correctional facility for 6-12 months and house arrest for 6 more months and probation for 10 years. _

_Luella then did her time and then went back to production, but because of the colossal impact the scandal had made, the ratings declined drastically and by the fall season it was cancelled. After the failure of her show, Luella continued to operate in the drug underworld and traffic and sell drugs to other drug dealers for profit. She also turned to robbery, burglary, arson, conning, and even murder. _

_One night Luella broke into Mr. German-Zion's mansion and cracked his safe. She was stuffing millions of dollars into a croaker sack when Gilbert German-Zion happened to go downstairs for a cup of water and caught her in the act. In order to avoid being arrested, going through another trial and possibly being locked away for life Luella agreed to be employed in his services as his secretary. _

_For the next several months, she slaved her days away editing, writing down, keeping, recording, and storing away records, finances and notes for Mr. German-Zion. Luella also called him by his nickname, "Mr. Piano." In addition to her secretarial work, she also swept and cleaned the store and held the fort while Mr. German-Zion was frequently away on business. _

_In no time he fell in love with her vivacious personality and her seductive sensuality. Luella fell for his charming, elegant, charismatic, and professional temperament. But he also had his shortcomings. Gilbert German-Zion was often foul-tempered, abrasive, abusive, and rough with her and he would treat her cruelly and harshly. Luella was bold, daring, impulsive, with a bad temper, loud, outspoken, callous, insensitive, and mean-spirited. _

_The two often clashed on financial and social matters. He was disgusted with her slovenly and boorish deposition and was even horrified with her coarse and dirty language. But what the both of them shared in common was that they had loose and casual views on morality and slept together on a daily basis. It was during her employment that Luella had fallen prey to the HIV virus as a result of her carnal relations with Mr. German-Zion. Eventually Luella was impregnated by Mr. German-Zion and gave birth to Payton. _

_It is said that the unusual stress that 9/11 brought on her caused Payton's early birth. After she recovered from the ordeal of Payton's birth, Luella walked out on Mr. Piano and abandoned her infant son with him. After that she became a model and a spokeswoman for L'Oreal Paris for a brief time and also made millions and billions of dollars. And the rest is history… _

_Funeral arrangements are not immediately made. A memorial service will be held at 7:00 P.M. tonight at Saint Anthony's Church, located at 549 Plainfield Street. Luella is survived by her mother Maura McEnglish, 75, her son Payton German-Zion, 7, his half sister Winda Demur, 10, and his wife Zalira Demur. Condolences go out to her immediate family and friends._

**The staff at The Foster Report would wish to thank Miss April Beaucroft for her contribution to this article.**

Buddy was stunned and speechless, and then turned to Cliff with her hair standing. "We got to tell everybody, Cliff. We got to tell everyone that Luella's dead," she told him. "And what about Payton?" Cliff asked her. "He'll be upset, I know it," crowed Buddy in a whisper. Just then a woman stormed into the animal shelter and then conversed with the director. Cliff and Buddy peered in to take a closer look at her. The woman was 5 feet, skinny hourglass figure, with well built and muscular long legs, short, strong, firm arms and hands, with neatly trimmed acrylics on her fingers, and had a short but wide shoulder length. She had fair, white skin and had small, thin cheekbones and also thin, bold eyebrows. Her nose was narrow, short, and pointy like a spear and her lips would convert into a solemn frown.

Her chestnut brown eyes would light up but dim once more. Her hair was short yet bushy and cropped at the ears and reached all the way to her neck. The woman wore a blue vest with a white tank top underneath and black dressy pants and high heeled blue slippers. She also wore a police cap that she got from her former days as a police lieutenant. The woman also spoke with a Boston accent. Slinging on her right arm was a cashmere purse and sticking out of it was the barrel of a gun.

Chills ran down Cliff's back. He knew that this woman was known for shooting down any animal that went rabid. The woman continued to discuss with the director about her occupation as a social worker for orphaned, abused and neglected children and animals. Finally the director relented and then pointed in the fingerbirds' direction. The woman then began to approach them. "Oh my God! It's Lieutenant Primestone! How did she find us?" whispered Buddy, astonished. "Trust me, Budd. She'll find anybody," Cliff returned loyally. Lieutenant Primestone then took out the key and inserted it into the lock.

The cell door swung open and then Lieutenant Primestone lifted up Buddy gently and let her perch on her hand. "Hello there, Buddy. My! Look at you! You've grown into a beautiful young lady. The last time I saw you two you were fingerlings. And well…! Cliff, you have grown up to be as handsome as your father. Probably more handsome than your brother ever will be," cooed Lieutenant Primestone as she caressed Buddy's neck.

"Okay, okay. Timeout! How did you find us?" retorted Cliff. "Well, the welfare agency has been keeping track of you all this time and they find that you have been raised in excellent conditions by a young girl. And when I found out that Mrs. Demur was running this suspicious animal shelter, I radioed my boss that I was going to come here as soon as possible. In fact, I'm taking you back to the orphanage where you spent your first days here on Earth for a reunion party. All of your friends have returned for this occasion, and I'm taking you there. It's been 14 long years," Lieutenant Primestone informed them.

"REALLY? Cake and ice cream!" screamed Buddy joyfully. She LOVED parties and Lieutenant Primestone knew that for a fact. After all, not only has she been their social worker and court appointed guardian ever since they were tiny fingerlings who had just been banished from their homeland crash landing on an alien pod, but she has been working on her job for the last 30 years.

Besides the Martin-Foster children, she has also worked with other countless cases, and some of them were more tragic than Cliff and Buddy's case and some of them didn't turn up so well. But of all of the cases she has handled, Cliff and Buddy remained her more personal and her first and main top priority. After all, she was practically their surrogate mother! Lieutenant Primestone then grabbed Cliff by the arm and then she whisked the two stepsiblings out of the animal shelter. Soon they approached a 1985 black and red Mustang and then Lieutenant Primestone got into the driver's seat and closed and locked the door. She then triggered the engine and then slammed her feet into the brakes and the 1985 Mustang sped off into the busy highway.

"Do you remember where the orphanage is?" Lieutenant Primestone quizzed them. "Umm… Is it in Boston?" guessed Buddy. "Hmm… Nope. Guess again," rejected Lieutenant Primestone. "Wait a minute, wait a minute… (Gasp) I got it! We're heading to Annapolis!" cried Cliff. "Of course! How did you know, Cliff?" chirped Lieutenant Primestone. "Wasn't it two blocks away from The Key School? We used to play with the preschoolers and the kindergartners," pointed out Cliff. "Why, yes of course. The orphanage's name was also called Saint Christine's Home for Orphaned Children," added Lieutenant Primestone. "Hey, Cliff. Remember Nat? She had a huge crush on you. She used to pull pranks on you all the time," recalled Buddy. "Yeah, what a she-devil," mulled Cliff in a detesting matter.

"Don't you think Suzanne and Tess would be worried about us when they find out we're gone?" Buddy enquired Cliff, concerned. "Yeah, they'll know sooner or later," was Cliff's answer while nodding his head. Buddy then began to feel sleepy. She then nodded her head and then slumped on her side and fell asleep. Cliff closed his eyes shut and then hung his head. Then his head fell on Buddy's body. The two fingerbirds drifted away to slumberland as Lieutenant Primestone continued their drive to Annapolis.

...

Meanwhile, Suzanne, Tess McNeal, and Payton were watching television and Pasion was on, even though neither of them really understood Spanish. Just then the programming was interrupted and then Todd Foster materialized in his news studio. "We have very sad news to report. Luella Josephine Kathy Hahn, who was an eccentric television show host in a very quirky talk show, a nightclub singer, a secretary for the wealthy and rich Gilbert German-Zion, and also a model for L'Oreal Paris, has passed away late last night in a Providence, Rhode Island police station while in the custody of Detectives Elliot Stabler and Olivia Benson. My sources have informed me that the detectives will not be prosecuted for her death, although there is an open possibility for the family of the deceased to file a lawsuit."

"Also that same night, her son Payton German-Zion has wedded multi-millionaire corporate boss businesswoman Zalira Demur in a private ceremony. It's unfortunate that his own mother didn't survive long enough to witness her son's marriage. Luella is also the daughter of renowned opera star Maura McEnglish. The mother of the deceased nor the son can be reached for comment at this time. In other news…" he announced grimly. Payton then began to sob and laid his head on Suzanne's arm. "Why? Why?" he wailed. Suzanne was breaking down into tears too. So was Tess McNeal. The young boy then threw himself on her chest and continued to weep.

Just then, Zalira burst into the room and then sneered in anger when she spotted Payton crying. "I demand you stop crying this instant!" she commanded. Payton then swallowed his tears and then glared at his new wife. "Now, Payton. How's a dinner date sound?" Zalira offered. "You inconsiderate witch. Payton has just found out that his mother has passed," Tess McNeal reproached her. "Well, why not? But I'm checking up on you two just to make sure no hanky panky is going on," Suzanne relented. Then she glanced at Zalira. "Let me talk to Payton for a moment," Suzanne replied in a solemn tone. She and Payton got off the bed and then trudged to the bathroom and closed the door.

Payton then sat on top of the toilet lid while Suzanne sat on the floor. Payton was still quivering and sniffling from the news of his mother's passing. "Payton, I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your mother. Whatever happened has already happened. You can't change it. Especially if her death occurred as a result of suicide. If she did kill herself, it was her own choosing," Suzanne tried to explain.

"But why would she kill herself?" Payton questioned her. "You see, your mother didn't like the way her life turned out. Especially when she slept with Mr. Piano, your father, and got pregnant with you. And when you were born, the situation got too much for her and she left you with your father. When you needed an adult female to take care of you the most, your mother was unable to provide that. She's probably still a child herself, for all I know."

"But we're really not here to discuss your mother's death. We're here to discuss your date with Zalira. To be honest, I don't completely approve of this marriage. Second of all, this is statutory rape. I think it's wrong for a woman – or lioness – to take advantage of a young boy, especially if she's out lusting for him. Tell you what. Tess and I will take turns supervising you. We're going to sit outside of the office and check inside for any misbehavior. Understand?" Suzanne continued. "Yes, ma'am," answered Payton. "Good. Just remember, if she acts inappropriately, fight back. Just say no," the veteran actress advised him. Payton then nodded and then headed for the door. As he pushed it open and was about to exit, Suzanne added, "And we'll discuss more about your mother later."

Payton then got out of the bathroom and then trotted up to Zalira. "Okay, kid. Let's go. I'll let the dress code slide by this time, but next time it must be formal," she informed him and then the two got out of the room and traveled to the office. The date was about to begin.

**Author's Notes:**

Le bon jour, la madame. Comment réussissez-vous:

**Good day, madame. How do you do?**

Comment avez-vous su que je peux parler le français? Je sais une Française quand je l'un vois, mon cher:

**How did you know that I can speak French?**

**I know a Frenchwoman when I see one, my dear.**

Vous êtes un homme sale, établissant des mariages entre un enfant qui n'a pas frappé même la puberté pourtant et une lionne adulte:

**You're a dirty man laying marriages between a child who has not even hit puberty yet and a lioness adult.**

Que peux-je dire? Ceci est tout pour le bon de Sonon:

**What can I say? This is all for the good of Sonon**


	11. Dates And Parties In Springtime

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay, this is the chapter before the last chapter that I have left off in, so don't be surprised if I have not completed it yet. Basically Payton and Zalira go on their very first date but Payton becomes very nervous and uneasy by Zalira's attempts to produce a conversation and eventually bails out of the date due to his overwhelming grief over his mother's death. Suzanne and Tess then find out what was bothering Payton and then devise a way to pay a tribute to a woman who had lived such a rough and pitiful life and was despised by all.**

**Meanwhile, Lieutenant Primestone arrives in the half-way house and announces that she has come in to remove Payton from the building and relocate him to a foster family in the Biloxi, Missouri area after being informed of the infamous article written by April Beaucroft by her boss. However, Primestone's dark side emerges and Suzanne fights valiantly to protect her beloved charge; however, Judge Busby arrives at the scene and then decides that both Suzanne and Tess should be Payton's guardians until he gets adopted by a new family. Payton is then taken to Biloxi, Missouri, where he meets the Scardsdale family and gets acquainted with the children, who are just as in frail health as he is. However, Zalira suddenly shows up again with the astonishing news that she is pregnant with Payton's children, which sends shock waves throughout the household and infuriates Maura McEnglish. It is then that the gang gets into one of the biggest adventures of their lives and chaos ensues.**

**Read and review!  
**

**_Chapter 10 – Dates And Parties In Springtime_**

**P**ayton opened the door and bade Zalira come in. Zalira was impressed. "Well! What a gentleman!" she purred. Payton got inside the office and was taken aback by what he saw. There was a table with two lit candles, two placemats, two plates with a fork, spoon, and a sharp and butter knife on either side of them, and also a napkin under the utensils. The table was covered with a white cotton pattern sewn table mat.

"Amazing!" breathed Payton and then he got to Zalira's seat on the right side of the table and then pulled it back. Zalira then climbed onto the chair and then pushed her chair back towards the table. Payton then hopped onto his seat and pushed his seat towards the table and now they were facing each other.

Zalira then lit up her cigarette and began to smoke. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this night. I've been anticipating this date all day. So, who taught you how to be polite to women?" Zalira mused while she was clouded in cigarette smoke and the smoke blasted out of her nose. "My grandma did. I don't know why it didn't work on my mother, but it certainly worked on me," responded Payton. "Well! Better to be raised by a woman than a man. Your father doesn't know how to treat a woman. I'm surprised you're not the same way. Perhaps you're not like your father after all," Zalira retorted.

"I'm nothing like my father. I'm too weak, too frail, too sick," insisted Payton. "Of course. You poor boy. You're still a child in this cruel world. And what a sad world this is indeed. Why can't they just let us be?" scoffed Zalira. "What do you want me to do?" Payton asked her. "Get emancipated. Break free from your father so that way we can live our lives together without the interference of the outside world, them and their damn laws," Zalira suggested while taking a sip of vodka.

Suzanne was standing outside of the office and was also eavesdropping on the conversation. She was very suspicious. _How could this be? Get emancipated from his father? Mr. Piano will NEVER allow this to happen! I'll bet he is seething in rage after learning of how his former lover had espoused his only son! God this is getting sicker and sicker by the minute, _were her thoughts.

Suzanne then continued to survey the date. Zalira then snapped her fingers and some sirloin steaks appeared on their plates, startling Payton. It was seasoned with rabbit blood. And speaking of rabbit blood, Zalira snapped her fingers once more and then two dead rabbits with dried blood on their bodies appeared on top of the steaks. The adult lioness then snapped the rabbit's head clean and then crunched it into pieces. She then spit out all of the bones and then they piled up in fragments. Payton then began munching on his rabbit.

Suzanne's face turned green and then she ran away from the office, prompting Tess McNeal to come in and take watch. Payton and Zalira continued to feast on their rabbits and then when they finished them, they moved on to their steaks. "Despicable!" spat Tess McNeal, who was disgusted and repulsed.

Zalira then sipped her glass of wine and then set it down. "I really should pay tribute to my mother," Payton informed Zalira. "Ha! And she's my mother-in-law. Poor dear. She's probably rotting in Sam Hill for all I know," Zalira laughed tauntingly and she continued to drink her sherry. Just as she was sipping on her wine, she suddenly stopped and then took a glance at her young husband. "Are you religious?" Zalira made an inquiry of him. "Well, I'm supposed to be a Lutheran. But my father doesn't even practice his religion. So I really don't have a religion," answered Payton nervously.

Zalira poured a glass of wine for Payton and then offered him some. "Would you like some wine?" she questioned him. "Umm… I rather not," Payton grimaced while wincing at the sight of the wine. "Oh well. More for me. I absolutely love to be drunk," remarked Zalira in a wishy-washy matter and then drank Payton's glass of wine. Then she finished her glass of wine and now the alcohol has gotten to her bloodstream and she soon became giddy. Payton couldn't take it anymore. The grief for his mother was too powerful. "I'm sorry. I have to go," he told her and then he ran out of the office while Tess McNeal followed him. Payton then flopped on the bed once he arrived in the room and began to cry once more.

Suzanne then came out of the bathroom and then was surprised to see that Payton was back so soon. She then sat down next to him on the bed. "What's the matter, Payton? Was Zalira being mean to you?" Suzanne interrogated him gently. "No. It's not Zalira. It's about my mother. I really miss her," sobbed Payton in a muffled voice. "Payton, you best come outside. I have an idea," the elderly woman declared and then she entered the balcony with Payton tailing her.

Soon the two were outside the room and doves started to rest on the fence. One of them rested on Suzanne's hair. Tess McNeal then joined them shortly after. "Suzanne, what are you going to do?" Tess McNeal asked her friend and teammate. "The three of us are going to release a dove into the moonlit sky in memory of our departed loved ones. This should be a nice tribute for Luella," Suzanne explained.

Tess McNeal then whistled and then a dove hopped on her cupped hands. Two more doves did the same to Suzanne and Payton. "All right. I'll go first," Suzanne announced and then she turned to face the night sky. "Please tell Lew that I miss him," she whispered and then released the dove into the sky. She then turned to Tess McNeal and gave her a wink. "You can go now, Tess," she told her. Tess McNeal then gazed up at the sky and then closed her eyes while holding up her dove. "If you can hear me, Nessie, hear my prayer. This is a prayer of love and eternal devotion. I miss you, my dear little sister," she murmured and then Tess McNeal released the dove into the sky and let it fly free and afloat. Now it was Payton's turn. He then lifted up the dove into the sky and it was cooing audibly in the dark, serene night. He trembled and attempted to fight back tears.

"You hurt me, Mamma. You broke my heart and left me all alone. I have gone from an innocent child to an underage husband. I don't blame you. I understand if I didn't please you. I never pleased anyone. I failed my father, I failed Zalira, and now I failed you. I know you're angry, but not all of the wrath of the world can take away the gift that I'm about to give to you. I love you, Mamma," he recited. Then he let go of the dove and the dove took off into the skies as tears flowed down on his face. Payton then rushed to Suzanne Carmichael and then buried his head in her chest. Tess McNeal then embraced him and Suzanne in order to comfort him. The trio then walked back into the bedroom and climbed into bed.

Suzanne then switched off the lights and looked down at Payton, who was still stricken with bitter and agonized tears. "I'm angry," he stammered. "I know you're mad, Payton. I was mad too when my sister died. Whenever I went to bed I would always wake myself up crying," Tess McNeal sympathized. Payton was still seething with wrath in his eyes and Suzanne could feel his steamy, hot breath on her arm. "I'll show my dad. I'll show him. I can be a man. I WILL BE A MAN!" he growled rancorously. Payton then bounded off the bed and dashed to the balcony. He scaled the walls before standing on the top of them. Payton felt his boiling anger about to explode. "You want to roar, Payton? Then let all of your anger out! Roar like the man you are!" Tess McNeal challenged him.

"I will!" Payton shouted back and then he started to hiss and snarl and yowl with all his might. "RAAOR! RAAAAAOOAAAR!" he snarled. Payton then continued to attempt to make a good roar but all it came out of his mouth was just an immature, weak howling of a kitten. Now he was frustrated. With all of his strength and all his might, Payton took a deep breath and to the surprise and shock of the ladies, made the loudest and deepest roar that was ever produced on Earth. Suzanne Carmichael and Tess McNeal quickly sat up in bed.

"What the fucking hell was that?" Suzanne cursed. "Goddamn. He finally did it," gasped Tess McNeal. The two ladies then looked over their shoulders and were astonished to see Payton roaring just like an adult lion. "Well! Look at that kid go!" Suzanne cheered on her young friend. "Yeah! I would marry a guy who could roar like that!" responded Tess McNeal.

Zalira then was shaken from her drunken sleep by the deep, loud roaring and then raced to another balcony. Once she got there, she turned her head to the nearby balcony where Payton was sitting and rendered breathless by his magnificent, powerful roaring. Her heart rate quickened and her breathing became labored and constricted. Zalira's temperature increased. Suzanne instinctively knew that Zalira might possibly be aroused by Payton's roar and might be sexually interested. So she took out a miniature cube-sized security recording camera and then tossed it to Tess McNeal. "Okay, Tess. Install this security recording camera and it will record what will occur here. We will sleep in the bathroom and in the morning we will check the recorded tape," the elderly veteran actress instructed her.

Tess McNeal then climbed up the wall and then hooked up the security camera to the wall and then jumped down and landed on her feet. Suzanne then smirked. "This thing is so small; Zalira won't even notice its presence," she boasted proudly. "You naughty girl," snickered Tess McNeal. The ladies gave each other a high five and then got inside the bathroom and locked the door shut for the night.

Zalira then prowled into the room and focused her sights on Payton. A soft smile spread on her face as she kept on ambling to the balcony. As soon as she slipped inside the balcony, Zalira then sat down next to Payton, who had already stepped down from the fenced wall. Payton then cocked his head to face her. "Um, hi," he squeaked. "You really amazed me with your roaring. Not bad for a first timer, though. Listen. Have you ever thought of having children?" Zalira praised him.

"No, I can't have children. I got AIDS. Besides, I don't want to make you sick," replied Payton while shaking his head. "Don't you know that you can't get AIDS from animals? If you get intimate with an animal, that animal can't get sick because only humans can get infected with the virus," Zalira growled exasperatedly and impatiently. "But aren't you afraid?" Payton enquired her with a worried and anxious expression on his face. "Listen, kid. I'm not afraid of anything, and I'm sure as hell not scared of AIDS," Zalira snapped while baring her teeth. "Believe or not, Zalira, I care about you. I don't want to be the one responsible for endangering the rest of your life," argued Payton, upset.

"Listen, pal. I screwed your father before and nothing has happened to me. You're just ashamed to be my husband!" snarled Zalira. "Well I got news for you, Zalira. I was scared out of my wits when I first got married to you, but I'm not running away anymore. I'm not running from anything anymore. If I going to FUCK you, then the damn hell I will!" Payton shouted at her. Zalira went livid. She didn't expect Payton to cuss at her.

Tess McNeal and Suzanne were listening to the conversation with their ears glued to the wall and their jaws dropped when they heard Payton say a couple of bad words. "Sheesh, Suzanne. Does Payton really think he's adult enough to swear at her like that?" Tess McNeal commented while frowning. "I'm starting to think he is," Suzanne returned loyally. "Do you think he's really considering doing it with her?" Tess McNeal hissed. "Yep," Suzanne retorted while giving out an affirmative nod. "Another Mary Kay Letourneau story," Tess McNeal commented with a sigh.

"You sure you want to do this?" Zalira inquired Payton. "Why not? If this is what you want, then let's have a go at it," was Payton's rejoinder. Payton then grabbed Zalira's arm and placed his other hand on her shoulder. Zalira then slid her left paw on his back and started leaning in for the kiss. But just then Mr. Piano bashed into the room and was charging into the balcony with an Enfield revolver in hand and with his eyes glowing fiery red and heating up. An aura of wrath reflected from his body and shrouded him with passionate energy. He was speeding at 100 mph and before you can even blink your eyes even once he leapt into the balcony and was shaking Zalira's shoulders rapidly and harshly and with so much vigor and then lunged for her neck and began to choke her.

"You wretched double crossing, seductive, perverted, nymphomaniac whore! How dare you conjoin my son and plot to violate him behind my back? I'm warning you, you she-devil. If I ever catch you in bed with my son, I will rape you and murder you with my own bare hands!" he threatened as his eyes flared up with rage and his face glowed beet red and his blood boiled. Payton was horrified by what he was seeing. Now Mr. Piano was venting his fury on his wife, and he knew that as her husband he must do something.

"STOP! Papa, I order you to release her from your grasp!" Payton screeched passionately. Mr. Piano dropped Zalira to the ground and turned around to look at his son. "You are the unluckiest wretch I ever did see. I'll bet the grief of the loss of your dear mother drove you to be seduced by this pervasive witch. Do my eyes deceive me? This woman has bewitched you, didn't she?" he moaned pitifully.

"Please, Papa. Don't hurt me anymore. Don't hurt her anymore. Don't hurt us anymore. Or if you proceed to continue to do so, I will run away and live with Suzanne and Tess," Payton implored his father. "Lesbians in this house! That is an abomination! They shall go to hell!" roared Mr. Piano furiously. Suzanne then stepped outside with her hands up, and so did Tess McNeal.

Mr. Piano then spun around to meet them. "So, you have sinned in the eyes of God. You indulged yourselves the pleasure of sleeping around with each other," he condemned them. "That's not true! That's a lie! Tess and I are just simply close friends! We've been keeping an eye on Payton, that's all!" Suzanne counterattacked the allegation aggressively and indignantly.

Mr. Piano scowled and screwed up his face in anger as his fists clenched up tightly into a ball and his body trembled in preparation for an attack. "You're lying, woman. I'll bet you have an eye for my son too! And especially your companion! I'll bet she's looking for someone to bang too!" he kept on accusing her. "You're a bitter, spiteful man. You just want to tarnish our reputations and delight in dragging our names through the mud," Tess McNeal shot back boldly.

Mr. Piano then approached Tess McNeal and then held on her shoulders tightly. "Hey, sweetheart. Why don't we make out sometime? I'll bet you will derive pleasure in that," he smooth talked to her and essayed to kiss her. Suzanne then slammed him into a wall telekinetically and then banged him on the concrete wall again and again. "Don't you dare put your dirty hands on my friend, because I'll rip your head off!" she offered. Mr. Piano then slid on the floor, defeated. Tess McNeal then grinned at her elderly friend. "Thanks, Suzanne. But I would've preferred you castrating his balls into mush though," she thanked him graciously. "No problem, Tess," Suzanne returned loyally with a smile.

"That reminds me," Tess McNeal spoke up and then she walked up to Mr. Piano and then gave him five swift, hard kicks to the face, causing him to have a nosebleed. "That's for trying to screw me to death, you bastard!" she hissed aggressively while pointing her finger at him. Just then, a young girl clad completely from head to toe – except for her eyes – in black cloth unexpected arrived and then took out a BB gun and started brandishing it at everyone while babbling rapidly in Arabic.

It was the Iraqi girl that Zalira had abducted from Iraq earlier, and she was about 9-years-old, the daughter of a radical Islamic rebel fighter opposing the American soldiers in the name of Allah. Her name was Sa'dah, and her parents are of Lebanese and Saudi Arabian descent. "Death to all Americans! Death to all Americans!" the young girl chanted in Arabic. She then clicked her eyes to Payton and then aimed her BB gun at him. "Infidel! You will pay with your life!" she threatened menacingly in Arabic.

Payton scrambled to the balcony and then attempted to jump out of the halfway house but slipped and was now hanging for dear life. He whimpered and he shook with fear. Sa'dah laughed at the sight of Payton's cowardice and was greatly amused that a young boy could run at the sight of her. She wasn't terrified of anyone, especially the U.S. military that now occupied her home in Baghdad. In fact, if given the chance, she could do combat with the soldiers face-to-face on a one-on-one fight.

Sa'dah also had dazzling, glassy, vivacious, radiant emerald eyes and wavy, curly honey auburn hair which she hid in her traditional Muslim clothes in shame. Mr. Piano then woke up and saw his son dangling on the balcony and rushed in to save him. He scooped him up in his arms and then prepared to leave the halfway house with him.

Zalira then blocked his exit and growled low in her throat defensively. "You're not removing my husband from this house!" she objected. "I'm going to court tomorrow to ask them to annul this illicit marriage immediately!" declared Mr. Piano. "Can't we come up with a compromise?" Suzanne suggested calmly. "What compromise?" spat Mr. Piano as he whizzed his head to make eye contact with her.

"Zalira can surrender herself to the authorities and go to prison for statutory rape until Payton turns 18. Once Payton is 18-years-old, Zalira can be paroled from jail and report to a parole officer for two more years and register herself as a sexual predator. She then can make a petition to the courts to make her marriage to Payton recognized as legal and valid," Suzanne explained her proposals to Mr. Piano.

"Or you can go to court and surrender your rights, responsibilities and authority as a parent and the court can grant permission for Payton to be emancipated," added Tess McNeal. "I think the latter is more probable, since you never really took care of your own son anyway!" Suzanne retorted with a fierce tone. "Humph! Why would I give up control of Payton? He is too immature and too frightful to handle adult responsibilities on his own," said Mr. Piano disdainfully.

"But if Zalira becomes pregnant with his child, will you make him an emancipated minor then?" questioned Suzanne. "Unless he shows me any evidence that he is independent enough to be liberated from my control, then he'll still by under my authority," Mr. Piano informed her. Payton then held Zalira's hand and squeezed it. Zalira turned to him and simpered sweetly. Mr. Piano then stormed out of the room and was gone.

Suzanne then turned to face the biracial couple. "None of you participates in any form of sexual intercourse until we get this straightened out or unless the court declares Payton emancipated," she admonished them firmly. Then she directed Zalira to the door and the adult lioness trudged reluctantly out of the room while mumbling displeasingly about what the veteran actress had just declared. Payton sighed and then body slammed on the bed flat on his back.

Suzanne Carmichael and Tess McNeal then joined him as Suzanne gave his hand a big reassuring squeeze. "Look, Payton. We're just doing what's best for you. We want to protect you from anything that you might be unprepared to undertake. I don't think you're ready to become a father if Zalira gets pregnant. You're way too young. You have to prove to the courts that you're independent and mature enough to live alone with Zalira. And that's not going to be easy," Tess McNeal explained.

"Tess's right. Not only has Zalira married you against your will, but she has also kidnapped and raped you as well. She almost kissed you too, and would have engaged in sexual intercourse with you if your father hadn't showed up. I'm surprised that your father had arrived for you at all, because he does nothing but treat you harshly, cruelly, and brutally and holler, scream and boss you around," Suzanne agreed with her young French teammate. "Is there anyway I can turn back into a human boy?" Payton interrogated the women.

"Well, that's up to Zalira. She may not want you to turn into a human boy again. But we're going to stand by you all the way throughout this ordeal. You might as well get some rest. You had a long day," answered Suzanne placidly and then she kissed him on the forehead. "Night, Suzanne. Night, Tess," yawned Payton while snuggling on her chest and purring contentedly. "Good night, Payton," Suzanne crooned sweetly and then she closed her eyes and fell into a peaceful slumber. Tess McNeal also fell asleep.

Payton then sat up and then examined the ladies and then glanced at Sa'dah, who was now asleep on the floor. "YES! Now I get to sneak out," he whispered. Payton then slid off the bed and then silently crawled out of the room without anyone noticing. Just as he was journeying to Zalira's office, Newman, Reline, Taska, Saska and Maluku leaped out of the blue and were now cornering the young lion to his tracks. "Look, fellas. It's the AIDS kid," commented Taska while laughing.

"How did you know about my illness?" Payton cried in shock. "Who wouldn't? Looks like the entire town of Washington knows about your story now. You must be the grandson of that bitch Maura McEnglish. We're so sorry about your dead mama," Saska mocked Payton in a singsong tone and then she and the other lions started laughing. Newman then menaced towards Payton and soon swiped at him with his powerful claw, frightening him.

Payton almost screamed when Reline seized his neck and performed a half nelson on him. "Oh yeah! Now goes the part when we have a late night snack – with an extra hint of AIDS. Payton Viral Sandwich is on the house!" bellowed Taska while howling with laughter. Newman then took out a laser-guided .44 magnum and cocked it and then pointed it at Payton's head while the laser beamed at his forehead. "Say your prayers, kid," he hissed as his finger was about to touch the trigger.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" bellowed a voice, and then the lions swiveled their head around to see that Zalira had bounded out of the office and then skidded to a stop to confront Newman. "Let that boy go, Newman!" Zalira ordered sternly. "Well, why should I? That boy should've been dead meat a long time ago," Newman scoffed defiantly. "Give me the damn child right now!" bellowed Zalira, enraged. "If I were to kill you right now, Zalira, I would be the leader of The Children of Aquarius," offered Newman maliciously.

Zalira's body tensed for a tumultuous disputation. Compared to her, Newman was 10x times bigger and had wolf-like ears that flattened on his head. He had a huge snout and a muscular, bulky build. His legs were lean, strong, graceful yet powerful and deadly. Newman's face was of a wolf with skeleton-like eyes and sharp and pointy cougar built teeth and his midnight blue and silver fur was whippy, fluffy and curly. His cheeks were puffy and dimpled, but it was barely noticeable. His neck was strained, fleshy and folded and he had a red mane around his neck. His electric icy sapphire eyes were cracked; dried with blood, vicious, sadistic, alert, world weary, nefarious, vile and evil.

"You were always out there to get me, were you?" Zalira hissed while bending her knees and pacing around in distress. "Of course. You're the most beautiful lioness in all of America. I could fancy you myself; however, being second-in-command is not enough for me. In fact, nothing is ever enough for me," replied Newman while he was advancing towards her. Then he lunged at her and tackled her and the two lions were rolling on the ground. Zalira wrestled with him and twisted her legs around his. Newman then wrapped his arms around her and began to trap her in his embrace. Zalira could now feel her ribs being crushed like a Diet Coke can and Newman's arms squeezing the life out of her. "You can't escape me, Zalira," Newman rasped into her ear. Zalira was pinned on her back on Newman's chest and was squirming and writhing to break free.

"Hey, Dad. What's up? Whatcha doing?" interrupted a teenage lion named Andrew. His brother, Tristan, followed him from a distance. His sister Adrian galloped over the fighting lions and then chortled at the sight of them. "Kill her Dad! Crush her skull and let her blood ooze out of her ears!" hooted Tristan bloodthirstily. Another one of Newman's sons, Hawks, came romping between his siblings and then pranced around his sister Reline. "Hey! Watch where you're going, Hawks! This is my dinner, and I'm not sharing!" snarled Reline and she snapped at his heels in an attempt to drive him away from Payton.

"Zira was a better fighter than you, Zalira. I'm surprised you're still trying, even if it'll take hours or even years to break out from my grasp," Newman taunted Zalira while she still struggled to pull away from him. Payton then bit Reline's paw and the young lioness yowled in pain and danced around on her feet while he rapidly scampered away from her as fast as he could.

Just then, another lioness intercepted him and then Payton was soon held down on the floor by the scruff of the neck and he felt the shifting of the feet beneath him and slowly lifted his head up to see who it was. He was dumbfounded to find that the lioness was none other than Suzanne Carmichael, who was somehow enchanted into a lioness! "Hey there, kiddo. Looks like now I got you," she greeted him with a smile. "Did you touch my potion collection?" screeched Zalira infuriatingly. "Yeah. Turns out some of them were in your bathroom. I found one that was designed to turn humans into lions and I had a drink of it on one of your goblets. I figured that if I was disguised as a lioness, I would be able to infiltrate this group and therefore rescue Payton," Suzanne explained proudly.

"Very clever, Suzanne. I had no idea you were such a crafty woman. I admire your courage and perseverance. But too bad we have to overpower you," Zalira lipped her with a sneer. "I'm not afraid of your goons, Zalira. You will go to prison yet and repent for your crimes," Suzanne declared determinedly. "Dear me, are you religious? For me there is no God. I'm God. I get to control who lives…" Zalira mused with pleasure and delight and then a cloud of darkness surrounded Newman and began to blind and choke him to death. Zalira then snapped her fingers and then Newman was rendered lifeless and Zalira shook herself and approached the veteran actress and eyed her in an intimidating matter while baring her fangs and hissing. "And who gets to die," she continued while smirking and chuckling evilly.

Suzanne's eyes glowed white and she too snapped her fingers and Newman started with a gasp. Zalira switched her gaze from Newman and then back to Suzanne with a startled and bewildered expression. "How… H-ow…" she stammered. "Going somewhere?" interrupted Suzanne while her eyes gleamed in the bright light and she stared at her bravely and firmly. Zalira then began to cower at what she had just seen and then retreated back to her office screaming. Andrew began to circle around the elderly Jewish woman and he was watching her every move.

"Look at this, guys! This is the one gal who may someday manage her own pride!" he crowed smugly to the others. "Well I'll be damned. No one has scared Zalira like that ever. In fact, Zalira has never run away from a fight. Keep this up and soon you'll overthrow her all together and become the Queen of the Kingdom of Aquarius," Saska complimented her while giving her a ghoulish grin.

Suzanne bowed her head a little as a gesture of accepting the comment but added, "I don't think taking over The Kingdom of Aquarius is in my best interests right now. But I'll consider temporarily making and leading my own pride until I find Team Legacy again. God knows where they are by now. I just hope Mr. Piano hasn't executed them at this point." Saska scoffed and broke into laughter. "That Mr. Piano doesn't even do shit as far as I know. He's as much as a lusty businessperson as Zalira is," she barked sarcastically.

"Ah, but you're wrong, Saska. He is a highly ambitious and brilliant mastermind and a deadly and ruthless force to be reckoned with. He'll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, even if it means the death and destruction of millions of youths," Tristan corrected her. "Then that means I have to stop him," Suzanne declared while stamping her paw down firmly.

"Yeah, soon millions of kids will be in serious trouble, including your leader," Reline admonished the veteran actress ominously. "What do you mean?" gasped Suzanne, appalled, aghast and petrified. "Well… I heard Mr. Piano discuss with Zalira over the telephone around Christmastide about arresting children whose parents aren't paying their mortgages and bills as a result of the financial crisis we have right now. The only reason Mr. Piano wants Rhonda arrested and incarcerated in Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center in Baltimore City is because of revenge and the fact he considers her a liability."

"Since she had frustrated and infuriated him so much, he thinks by getting her out of the way, he can proceed with his plan. And your friends and her family will also be banished from the United States for the rest of their pathetic lives. If you join us, you will be spared and be given many privileges, including recruiting and supervising new members," Reline explained. In the bright light, her garnet eyes glistened with malice and they also radiated a cold, brilliant gleam. "I rather be banished with my husband and my team outside the U.S. than to be corrupted by your questionable organization," Suzanne decided firmly with an authoritative and commanding voice.

"Very well, as you wish," acquiesced Reline with a slight nod and then she and her siblings and their father started to march away. Hawks then turned his head to Suzanne as he was leaving and mouthed the words, _Doomsday will hover upon you. _He bit his thumb at her and turned away. Suzanne then switched her gaze from the departing lions to Payton and smiled while nuzzling on his cheek.

"C'mon, kid. Let's head back to the room," she commanded and then they trudged back to the bedroom in the opaque, tranquil night. Once the both of them entered inside the room, Tess McNeal was sprawled on the bed, soundlessly asleep and everything was quiet. "Suzanne, will I be taken to jail too?" Payton questioned his elderly friend. "I don't think it's likely. Since you're now married to Zalira, she may be intending to rule over the imprisoned children with you as her king. But if your father interferes, then that may not happen," Suzanne answered as she took out a goblet and had a sip of a drink from it and soon she transformed back into a human being.

Just then someone tapped her on the shoulder and Suzanne spun around to see who it was. It was Lieutenant Primestone! "Who are you?" Suzanne importuned her inquisitively. "My name is Lieutenant Doris Primestone, a social worker for The Valiant and Forsaken Newborns Agency that is stationed in Boston and a correctional officer for the Maryland Correctional Adjustment Center in Baltimore City. Speaking of Boston, I was born there. You must be a teammate and friend of Cliff and Buddy. Believe or not, I actually am well acquainted with them. I was their prime caretaker and guardian from the time that they were infants or fingerlings as they refer to them back in Planet Birdland. I also took them to an orphanage in Annapolis. That was where they were raised. It's a couple of blocks from The Key School."

"The orphanage's name is Saint Christine's Home for Orphaned Children. Cliff and Buddy had been just dropped off there for a reunion party. But I'm not here to converse with you about Cliff and Buddy. I'm here about Payton. My boss summoned me to his office this morning and showed an article in The Foster Report about him and he seemed very worried about it, so he suggested I come down to the halfway house to check up on him and claim him as a ward in my custody. I'm intending to be his court-appointed guardian. However, in case I cannot be there for him, I'll also anoint someone else to be his full-time guardian. That person will have temporary custody of Payton until we find someone who is willing to adopt him," the woman greeted her. "You mean… You're going to put him in the foster care system?" blurted out Suzanne.

"Correct. My agency has amassed an endless stream of evidence of child abuse and neglect and therefore on these grounds Mr. German-Zion's parental rights will be terminated. I even got hold of a black switch lying in a ditch off the interstate in D.C. and on it was inscribed, "_Mr. Piano._" I'm suspecting that Payton's father is on the run from the law. I also found out that his assistant Mrs. Vright is now detained in a local jail pending trial. For now Payton will be staying with me and I'll be relocating him to a new foster home to his new family. You can visit him on Saturdays and Sundays on alternate weekends. On vacations he can even stay with you."

"I'm going to arrest Zalira on charges of child abuse, statutory rape, battery and assault, kidnapping and holding a minor against his/her will and also wedding a minor against his/her will and sexual harassment. Tonight he'll be heading to court to determine his placement and who will be representing his best interests. You look like a respectable lady. You might as well come with me," revealed Lieutenant Primestone.

"What? I'm leaving?" Payton panicked and then he ran to Suzanne and clung to her. "Pitiful. Common behavior in abused and neglected children. Payton must depart for The Biloxi K. Lansford Jurisdiction Court immediately in Montgomery County. The Honorable Judge Donald Jonathan Busby will preside over the case. Run along, you two," commented Lieutenant Primestone in a business-like, tactless, brisk, and cool matter. She then yanked Payton from Suzanne abruptly and dragged him on the floor while he was screaming and wailing in protest. Lieutenant Primestone hauled Payton over her shoulder and then marched down the stairs while Suzanne pursued her, attempting to keep up with her.

"Shut up, you little brat! You're getting out of this penthouse immediately and that's final!" Lieutenant Primestone barked at Payton and struck him across the head. Suzanne then suddenly grabbed her arm and stopped her in her tracks. Lieutenant Primestone then turned her head to meet her. "Quit stalling me, you coot! Or should I push you down the stairs to your death?" Lieutenant Primestone offered her. She then shoved the elderly woman down to the ground hard and made off with the boy. This didn't stop the veteran actress however, and no sooner had she rose up quickly to her feet than she lunged at the social worker and essayed to pry Payton from her clutches.

In just minutes the two women tipped over the base of the stairs and then cascaded down the steps while kicking, screaming and clouting each other in a violent catfight. Suzanne eventually overcame Lieutenant Primestone by throwing her down to the bottom of the stairs and she crash landed there on her right side and lay there motionless. The actress rolled over her with Payton in her arms and then flopped on her back on the squeaky, shiny, wooden floor. She then held him in a warm embrace and was rocking him to sleep.

Just then a portly, gigantic, bald black man with a lumpy-shaped head and pillow-fat arms and legs and standing over 7 feet tall barged into the scene and approached the two women. He also had a black mustache and a short, bumpy, saggy, wrinkled nose. His eyes were squinted and on his face was a pair of miniature-sized spectacles. His lips were cracked and dry and his cheeks were fleshy yet flat, but his cheekbones were so thick and high that they seemed to be puffy.

The judge also slouched slightly in his stature. His squinted eyes were a consequence of blindness, and he wears the glasses to hide his defect. He was also a mix of Chinese and African American descent. It was Judge Donald Jonathan Busby! He galumphed to Suzanne and peered down at her. "Hello. I'm Judge Busby. I'd come here to decide who will be looking after Master Payton," he uttered in a deep and gruff voice. Lieutenant Primestone then got up on her feet and brushed herself of dust and dirt and turned to face the judge.

"Your Honor, The Valiant and Forsaken Newborns Agency has received mountains of evidence that speak of allegations of child abuse and neglect. Thanks to the valor of Miss April Beaucroft of The Foster Report on publishing an article about Payton, I was able to track him down and arrive here at the halfway house to pick up Payton for a court appearance. But since Your Honor is here, why not advance the proceedings right here?" Lieutenant Primestone acknowledged him.

"Very well. Court is now in session. All rise," announced Judge Busby. Suzanne then got up with Payton in her arms. "Your Honor, I request that I be appointed by the court as guardian of 7-year-old Payton," Lieutenant Primestone informed him. "And what are the grounds for this?" Judge Busby interrogated her. "Payton has no mother. Miss Luella Hahn has been listed as recently deceased in our records. His father is on the lam and is a fugitive from the law. They tried to apprehend him but he escaped."

"However, authorities were successful in nabbing his henchwoman Mrs. Sue Ellen Vright. Payton has been residing in the halfway house for some time now with Zalira. It has been unveiled to the media and the newspapers that he is also her husband. He also has a half-sister named Winda, who is Zalira's daughter. She is currently in Georgetown University Hospital, having been transferred two days ago."

"Mr. German-Zion has been known to assault Payton with a rod birch in front of people and starve him for days at a time. He hardly bathes him for weeks and months and when he leaves for business, the boy is often left alone in the wrecked and abandoned penthouse that he and his father abide in. Payton is supposed to be in the 2nd or 3rd grade by now but he has never even been enrolled in school."

"Since he was handed over to his father by the order of the court, his treatment for AIDS has been discontinued voluntarily by Mr. German-Zion. Payton often gets sick with a variety of ailments in the penthouse and is admitted to the hospital 40-50 times a year because of life threatening illnesses and injuries. During his time with his grandmother, a single incident involving abuse, neglect, or endangerment was never reported neither has it occurred to our knowledge."

"So the decision to transfer custody to his father was based on assumption of Maura McEnglish's inability to care for the child when clearly she was noting special care of his fragile and precarious situation. And to make matters worse, Payton was forced to eat rotten or spoiled food that was left uneaten for weeks. Witnesses also recall seeing him wandering in the streets and stealing all kinds of treats from candy shops and pastry stores. He often was spotted napping in alleys, parking lots, on the benches in bus stops, buses, the back of trucks, junkyards, and even in front of apartment complexes and on top of parked cars."

"His mother has never cared for him and has not even bothered to raise him. Her suicide note clearly states that sentiment. Payton also has hardly played with children his age and consequently he is shy, withdrawn and reclusive. So in the weight of all this evidence, I implore you dear honorable judge, to revoke Mr. German-Zion's parental rights and hand over custody to a more responsible adult," explained Lieutenant Primestone.

Judge Busby then stewed his thoughts for a moment before making his decision. "I invite this woman over here to my chambers at The Biloxi K. Lansford Jurisdiction Court for a brief interview. After that, I will interview you and I will summon you in my courtroom and I'll announce my decision," he declared while pointing at Suzanne. "Sounds fair," Suzanne complied obediently, even though Lieutenant Primestone apparently was not pleased.

"Your Honor, I have a foster family for this child in mind. They dwell in the city of Biloxi, Missouri and they go by the surname Scardsdale. This is a family of four. The STEPMOTHER, and I do mean the stepmother, is 34-years-old while her husband is about 46-years-old. Two of the children are from the husband's first marriage while the other two are from the wife's first marriage. The husband's first marriage ended in death while the stepmother has been divorced."

"The couple is looking into adoption in order to gain another child for their growing family. The children's ages range from 4-8 years. There are two boys and two girls. One boy is 8-years-old and another boy is 4-years-old. One girl is 6-years-old while another girl is Payton's age. The children on the stepmother's side are of Polish, Canadian, Belgian and Flemish descent while the children on the father's side are of Prussian and Armenian descent. The two boys belong to the father while the two girls belong to the stepmother. I suggest that Payton spends the night there and live there temporarily while we undergo the proceedings further," she spoke up.

"Considering Payton's pitiful, despicable and tragic situation, I decree that he be placed with the Scardsdale family in their Missouri home and that Mrs. Suzanne Anne Carmichael be authorized to supervise him as his acting guardian. The boy needs a familiar presence in a strange, unfamiliar and new environment. Any other suggestions or questions?" announced Judge Busby.

"I also request that Ms. Tess Anne Jean McNeal also be appointed as acting guardian. Payton may need her too," added Suzanne. "It is ordered. Do you have a suggestion, too, Lieutenant Primestone?" declared Judge Busby. "No I do not, sir," answered Lieutenant Primestone. "And don't worry. The grandmother is still permitted to visit the young boy," Judge Busby reassured the two women.

Tess McNeal was stumbling on the stairs half asleep and half awake and when she happened to notice the judge, she quickly woke up. "Oh my God!" she cried. "Is there any transportation we can take to go to Biloxi?" Suzanne enquired the judge curiously. "Yeah, I need a freaking nap," mumbled Tess McNeal while drifting off to sleep again. "Of course. Just close your eyes, and count to 20," instructed Judge Busby and everyone did so. As Tess McNeal closed her eyes, she fell fast asleep standing. The women counted to 20 under their breaths and then Judge Busby snapped his fingers and the room faded into darkness.

20 seconds later, Suzanne, Lieutenant Primestone, and Tess McNeal awoke on the doorstep of the Scardsdale home and were startled to see that the area was surrounded by a marble white fence with an automatic gate. The house was a splash of red, saffron and light orange marmalade, and glass stained windows were on all sides of the house. There were some steps leading up to the porch. The porch was made of black and white tiled marble.

The roof and its hinges were bright cardinal red, the doors were saffron, and the walls were light orange marmalade with touches and splashes of yellow, honey and mustard. The grass was 3 feet tall and was nicely trimmed, even though the front yard looked like a prairie safari. Stepping pearl stones led to the front porch. The house was a show of gaudiness, flamboyance and pomp with its sheer ugliness and shoddiness.

Tess McNeal nearly flinched when she observed the home. "This house needs some dire help. It could use television programs like Divine Design from Home and Garden T.V.," Suzanne commented wryly. "I agree. This house is sickening," nodded Tess McNeal while feeling squeamish. Lieutenant Primestone rapped on the door and then footsteps followed. Moments later the door creaked open and a fluffy perm-like curly, wavy red haired woman materialized on the doorstep. She wore glasses and she also appeared tired and exhausted. Lines were drawn on her face and her cheekbones were medium-sized and thin.

The woman only stood 5"6 and had a thin, curvy, lanky figure. She had an egg-shaped face and her eyelashes were curled up and radiant. The woman had graceful, swan-like arms and chicken-like legs. She wore a maroon sweater, midnight blue jeans, white sneakers with straps, and a pearl lavaliere sticking out. Her magenta/cardinal eyes crackled and glowed in the dark. "You must be the social worker we've been contacting for weeks. Where's the Payton boy?" she muttered. Payton peeked at the woman from behind Tess McNeal but merely hid his face. The woman saw that and attempted to follow his movements. Payton was so scared that he tried to make a dash for it, but Tess McNeal seized him just in time.

"Payton, what's the matter?" Tess McNeal asked him while Payton stood there shaking and whimpering. "He's a very shy boy, isn't he?" remarked the woman and Lieutenant Primestone nodded in agreement. "Just so you know you have to get him to see a doctor as soon as possible and have him on treatment. He is sick with AIDS. Payton's mother has just passed away and his father is nowhere to be found at this point, but I'm handing him over to you. But to make his stay more bearable, a couple of his lady friends will also be with him," she informed the woman.

"Oh, don't worry. The children aren't exactly completely healthy either. One of my girls is asthmatic. The other one has heart disease. One of the boys is sick with leukemia and the other one has a malign brain tumor. Doctors don't expect him to live beyond five years; we'll be lucky if he survives for 10," the woman assured him.

"What's your name?" inquired Tess McNeal. "McKenzie. My husband's name is Kendrick. Why not bring Payton into the living room? The kids are watching some cartoons right now," replied the woman and then while Tess McNeal, Suzanne and Payton strode into the house, Lieutenant Primestone waved goodbye and walked away from the house.

Soon Payton was in the house, and he stuck close to Tess and Suzanne. He noticed four kids sitting on the sofa watching television and then looked up at Suzanne for support. "Go on, kid. Why don't you get acquainted with the children? Don't be afraid. I'm sure they're as scared to meet you as you are of them," she prodded him on. Payton scrambled for the living room and skidded in front of the television.

"HEY! Move away from the television set! We're trying to watch some shit here!" snapped one of the girls. Payton instantly skittered away from the television set and dove into the sofa and hid under the pillows. "Hey. How come you're a fraidy cat?" one of the boys made an inquiry of him. Payton just whined and sobbed. "Don't bother him, guys. He's the new kid in town. Let him adjust here," scolded one of the boys. "What's your name?" questioned the 6-year-old girl.

"P-P-P-P-P-Pay-Pay-Pay-Payton," stammered the frightened child. "Payton huh? Well my name is Kristy, and I have asthma. My sister's name is Frankie, and she has congestive heart failure. We call her Fran for short. My stepbrothers are Huey and Drake, who are sick with leukemia and a brain tumor. My parents are also applying for the adoption of 9-month-old Finnish-Persian-Russian twins. They are a boy and a girl and their names are Inka and Dewy. Welcome to the Scardsdale home," the little girl greeted him in a friendly way.

Frankie then peered at Payton and blushed at him shyly, having forgotten the comment she flung at him earlier. Payton just inched deeper into his pillow-laden shell in fear. Eventually the warmth of the sofa overcame Payton and he soon went into a deep slumber. The rest of the children dozed off too. McKenzie and Kendrick carried the children one by one into bed. Suzanne and Tess McNeal helped along too and soon all of the Scardsdale kids were tucked into bed in their lofty, airy, small closet-sized room. Payton was fretful and whiny as Tess McNeal placed a warm mug of milk on the night table. The rest of the children were sleeping deeply and peacefully. The adults were hovering over him and were careful to keep their distance.

Just then, the door was knocked down to the ground and Zalira slipped into the house. Suzanne's hair stood up when her ears detected her low, audible, clear growl. Tess McNeal was petrified too and took out a switchblade from her breast pocket and flicked it out from its handle. Zalira then advanced towards the others and was just inches away from Tess McNeal's leg. "What are you doing here?" hissed McKenzie, horrified.

Zalira swiped Payton's mug from the night table with her tail and downed it instantly and smashed it to the ground. Then again with her tail she dug into her hair and took out an Uzi gun and cocked it. "Everyone does not move or I'll shoot and take out one of you. How dare you remove Payton from the premises of my lair without MY permission! He's my husband now, DO YOU HEAR ME? HE'S MY MATE NOW! He is also soon to be father of my children," screamed Zalira threateningly.

Suzanne almost fainted at what she had just heard and her face fell with grim realization. It was too late. Zalira was already carrying Payton's cubs or children if you prefer. "When did you find out?" harked Tess McNeal. "I was very ill tonight and I called the doctor for an emergency appointment. He checked me up and ran some tests and informed me that I was pregnant. He also did an ultrasound on me and I discovered that I'm going to have triplets. I've been traveling for two hours just to see Payton. And because you took Payton away from me, all of you will suffer," explained Zalira in a strangely casual matter but her tone then turned deadly serious.

She then focused her view on Huey, who was the smallest of all the Scardsdale children, and her jaws were dripping with saliva. "I'll start with the little pipsqueak," she mused to herself. But Zalira was stopped in her tracks when a noose fell on her neck and a sudden jerk made her gag. She then turned around in anger and was incensed to see that it was Maura McEnglish who had done the deed. Along with her was Fatal Passions star Joshua Edwards and Austrian rock star Falcon Perry. "Leave my grandson in peace!" yelled Maura McEnglish infuriatingly. "He's mine, and he is not yours for the taking! Besides, I already am pregnant with his cubs!" snarled Zalira defiantly.

Maura McEnglish froze in horror and her blood boiled with fury and rage. "YOU HAVE VIOLATED THAT POOR LITTLE BOY! IF THE AIDS VIRUS APPLIES TO ANIMALS TOO, THEN THAT IS GOD'S PUNISHMENT FOR FORNICATING WITH MY GRANDCHILD! YOU HAVE NO FEELINGS, NO HEART AND EVEN NO SOUL! I HOPE YOU WILL GO TO PRISON FOR LIFE FOR YOUR HEINOUS, DISGRACEFUL CRIMES, ESPECIALLY FOR A WOMAN OF YOUR STATUS!" hollered Maura McEnglish at the top of her lungs and then she charged at Zalira. Zalira then swiped Tess McNeal's switchblade and grabbed Huey from his bed. She then stood in a dark corner while holding the blade to the little boy's neck. Suzanne then turned to Maura McEnglish, who was standing next to her, and essayed a disarming smile. "Good timing. She could have massacred us all," Suzanne praised her lavishly.

"Come any closer, and I'll slit this boy's throat!" portended Zalira while her ears twitched and her eyes glazed over and widened. Her breathing became labored and hard and her body tensed. Suzanne then approached the crazed lioness slowly and calmly while Zalira attempted to back away deeper into the corner. "Hey, hey. Let's not get irrational here. We don't want to go into a situation where someone's going to get hurt and where cops are going to be after you. We don't want that, right? So here's the deal. You can stay here with us…" Suzanne coaxed her. "ARE YOU NUTS? She might rape Payton again!" screeched Tess McNeal, protesting.

"…As long as you do not kill anyone. You can sleep in another room, away from the children, and away from Payton. We'll provide for you with food, water, and other necessities. Also, you may be with Payton during the day, but at night, you must not be within 500 meters of him. Tess and I will monitor your behavior with a chart and we'll discipline you with the safest and the most appropriate methods for a woman in your condition. At night you'll be locked up from sunset to dawn. If any of us catch you making any serious trouble, you're out of here. Is that clear?" Suzanne continued while disregarding Tess McNeal's comment. Zalira then nodded and slowly but surely she set the switchblade down to the floor and released Huey to his relieved and grateful mother. Zalira then sulked out of the room and was gone.

The Scardsdales breathed a sigh of relief. "Praised be the Lord," Kendrick muttered under his breath. "That was excellent negotiation. If it weren't for you, Huey would've been lying on the floor dead by now," McKenzie thanked Suzanne. "It was absolutely no trouble at all," returned Suzanne loyally. "I got an idea," announced Tess McNeal and then she opened up a drawer and then whipped out a long sheet of construction paper. She took out a fountain pen and then started writing.

It said, "**Zalira's Behavior Chart:**

**Monday:**

**Tuesday**

**Wednesday**

**Thursday**

**Friday**

**Saturday**

**Sunday**

**Checks for good behavior.**

**Xs for bad behavior.**"

Tess McNeal then took out some pegs and picked out one of them. She then stuck the newly penned chart on the wall for everyone to see. Suzanne then had another idea. She took out another sheet of construction paper and then started writing with the pen.

The following words read, "**_May 4, th 2008 at Biloxi, Missouri. _****_I, Suzanne Anne Carmichael, do hereby decree that the subject of this contract, Miss Zalira Demur, will abide by and obey all of the rules of the Scardsdale home without question and without complain. Miss Demur MAY not kill anyone in or around this house, threaten to do harm to any of the residents of the house, be within 500 meters of Payton German-Zion in the evening hours from 11:00 P.M. to 6:40 A.M. in the morning, vandalize anything that pertains to the Scardsdale property, disturb the peace of the neighborhood, have carnal relations with Payton German-Zion, carry on illicit affairs with the other children in the neighborhood, or commit any crime._**

**_ At 9:00 P.M. Miss Demur is to report to a room she is assigned and stay there and someone will be appointed to guard her closely. If she needs anything, a bell will be accommodated for her and she will be able to ring it. Miss Demur also has the right to be with Payton during the daylight hours, (with supervision), and participate with the Scardsdale family in all of their activities. She has the right to basic necessities to keep herself alive and she also has the right to use the operations of the house, including the television. Miss Demur, however, must wear an ankle bracelet at all times that will detect her movements. _**

_I, _, agree to all of the rules and regulations that are required of me. I understand that if any of the rules are to be broken or violated, the contract will be declared null and void and I will be evicted from the Scardsdale home._

**_Suzanne Carmichael_**__X _X_

_Supervisor Renter_

__X_

_Assisting Supervisor_

_And that's about it for this contract_." Suzanne then handed over the contract to Tess McNeal and then she signed it on the section, "Assisting Supervisor." Now the bottom part of the contract looked like this:

_I, _, agree to all of the rules and regulations that are required of me. I understand that if any of the rules are to be broken or violated, the contract will be declared null and void and I will be evicted from the Scardsdale home._

**_Suzanne Carmichael  
_**

**___**_X_**_ __**_X_

_Supervisor Renter_

**_Tess McNeal_**

____X_

_Assisting Supervisor_

_And that's about it for this contract_. Suzanne thought for a moment and then added something else on the contract. Now this is how the contract looks like:

_I, _, agree to all of the rules and regulations that are required of me. I understand that if any of the rules are to be broken or violated, the contract will be declared null and void and I will be evicted from the Scardsdale home._

**_Suzanne Carmichael  
_**

**___**_X_

_Supervisor _X_

_ Renter_

**_Tess McNeal_**

**___**_X_

_Assisting Supervisor _X_

_ Landlady_

_ _X_

_ Landlord_

McKenzie and Kendrick then signed the contract and examined the details carefully. Kendrick then shook Suzanne's hand in approval. "That's an ingénue concoction, Ms. Carmichael. That will surely keep Payton safe during Zalira's pregnancy. She is out of here once the cubs are born," he remarked. "Don't kick out the cubs too!" pleaded Payton while pouting in his cot. "Payton's right, Kendrick. We have to figure out what to do with the cubs. I personally don't think that they should be with Zalira. She might corrupt them just as she did Winda," agreed Tess McNeal.

"Tess does have a point. We'll discuss this in the morning, though. It's very late, and everyone should be heading to bed," added Suzanne, and Tess McNeal, Falcon Perry and Joshua Edwards escorted the Scardsdales out of the bedroom while the elderly actress sat on Payton's bed and viewed over the children, who were very weary and frazzled from the terrifying and horrendous experience.

"BITCH!" screeched Dana Hilton angrily as she and Tony Jason stormed into the room and were startled to see four vulnerable, sobbing, fearful tykes prepped up in their small beds and hiding under their covers. Tony Jason cleared his throat and nudged Dana on the shoulder with his elbow and directed her to Suzanne. The actress then turned to her. "Hey, what gives?" was all Dana could retort.

"Dana, control your language around those kids for Pete's sake. What's pushing your buttons?" Suzanne criticized and inquired her at the same time. "I just saw Zalira's shadow flash on the window and Tony and I came here to investigate. Rhonda has gotten really worried about you and Tess and she finally had to send us down here. I've also been hearing rumors about Zalira and Payton being married and Payton being raped in a halfway house," Dana Hilton explained.

"I know where you're going with this. Zalira had just held one of the Scardsdale kids hostage with a switchblade at his throat and threatened to murder him. I had to do some negotiation work," Suzanne responded. Dana gasped in horror and was greatly appalled. "NO! She did not!" she cried in disbelief. "Zalira has gone mad! She should be checked into a mental hospital or something!" replied Tony in a panic-stricken voice. "Go to McKenzie and ask her where you two will be sleeping. She's the mom and the landlady of this house. She'll tell you," Suzanne promptly instructed her teammates. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Dana Hilton asked her anxiously and apprehensively.

"Relax! I'll have them asleep in no time. I'll make sure nothing happens to them," Suzanne reassured her. "Page me if anything happens at all," Dana Hilton retorted before she and Tony Jason walked out of the room. Suzanne then looked over her shoulder and turned to face Payton, who was by now falling asleep. "Would you like a toy to sleep with?" she offered. "I already have one. Mine is a female purple sea pup named Velvet. My grandma gave her to me when I was a baby. That's her nickname too, by the way. She always loved to wear a purple velvet dress jacket with a polo boa laced collar over her clothes."

"I love my grandma. She is the one person that I know from my family that took care of me always. She would never leave me alone in the house, like my papa. I don't think I would like to have a teenage stepmother, although I would like to have one as a friend," Payton answered frankly, quietly and shyly. Then he took out his stuffed seal pup and brandished it at the actress. Velvet made a soft whispery hush-hush sound while Payton shook her playfully and gaily and giggled giddily. Velvet had olive-sized black, beady eyes and an orange-sized nose. Her back sloped downward and her mermaid-like tail fin was flat, floppy and was shaped like a bowtie. She had a plump, round body and was as mushy and soft as a bean bag. Her head was also shaped like a bowling ball and her flippers were long, curved, and wide like a dolphin's.

Velvet also had a white underbelly that stretched from her neck to her tail. The inside of her mouth is hard and hollow and black and her mouth is easily opened and her soft, smooth fabric-like tongue is red. When you hit her belly, she squeaks like a chew toy and her mouth contracts and expands, as if she is actually breathing. Her skin was furry, cottony soft, and bushy. Velvet also had thin, delicate, light eyelashes.

Suzanne had to give out a bittersweet smile. Payton was married way before his time, was about to become an underage father, and yet this child manages to giggle and laugh in the face of tragedy and the grim realities of being an AIDS victim, pedophilia, child molestation, rape, and of being motherless and being forsaken and abandoned by an emotionally distant, cruel, abusive, heartless, insensitive, ruthless, faithless and womanizing father.

Then the young boy commenced to shed watery, sweet tears from his eyes and they trickled down his chest and dripped on his bed sheets. He then blinked his tears away and closed his eyes and laid his head on Velvet and his mind drifted away to a faraway dream.

...

Payton was once again skydiving above Martha's Vineyard. He saw the ocean looming below him at 200,000 feet. Payton felt the gravity pull towards him and the wind caressing, slicing through his body and whipping his hair playfully. He then began to chuckle to himself and once he descended into the water he plunged underwater and began to swim in the dark, cold, dense blue liquidly world. A school of fish swished past him and Payton was enveloped in a shower of bubbles. He then floated to a small area that was filled with treasure chests filled with a variety of jewels and gemstones, pearls, oysters clicking and clacking away while exposing their newly generated pearls, seaweed, clownfish, sea anemones, pink, weathered, rough corals swaying to the beat of some mysterious music, and also some plankton magnetizing themselves to his skin. They wiped and rubbed themselves against him and it tickled the young lad and it made him laugh.

Payton then dug into the wet, soft, dusty sand with his hands and took out a shiny, radiant big pearl and puts it in his pocket. Suddenly he turned his head to see some dolphins leaping in and out of the water and he climbed up in the water to reach the surface. Once he broke out of the surface and took a deep breath, one dolphin sped past him and splashed him. Payton tasted the salt water that soaked his skin, hair, clothes and body and decided to join the dolphins in their quest to reach their destination. He took big, large skips on the surface and bounced his way to the pod of dolphins.

Once the dolphins noticed his presence, they crowded and jumped over him in glee and excitement. They took turns butting Payton in midair back and forth with their heads and seagulls swarmed around him. One of them went too close to him and he started to tip over and was about to fall into the ocean when he was slapped into the air by another dolphin. Payton then spun in midair five times in quick precision and did a couple of front flips and two more body twists before doing a 3 mile somersault and tumbling into the water. Just then the pod darted into the water and scrammed for their lives when the sound of a big bang from a cannon erupted in the air. Payton attempted to flee too but he was pierced in his liver, gall bladder, spleen and stomach by a long, sharp harpoon and blood started to gush from his wound. Once the harpoon knifed through him, he was changed into a dolphin himself.

Suddenly an overweight and gigantic pirate materialized on the deck wielding a musket and had a dark, rugged, wiry, bushy beard and also had pumped and swollen arms and legs and a hump on his back. He was leaning on a cane because his feet were amputated at the knees and as a result he had to hop around instead of walking. His face looked swollen too – and it looked like someone smashed a ball into his face – for it was mashed and crunched to the point where it was unrecognizable, and his face also had ripples and wrinkles, and some of the skin was peeling. The pirate also wore sunglasses and for hands he had falcon talons. For a nose he also had an eagle's beak.

His name was Captain Talonscore, an old nemesis of Payton's who had been terrorizing and pursuing him in his dreams ever since he was 4-years-old. "I got you now, you little runt! Now I'll have you as my dinner!" he scowled maliciously. Payton was paralyzed from the waist down. He could barely move. Now the old rogue has finally captured him for sure and after a succession of unsuccessful attempts to defeat him, it seems like Captain Talonscore might have finally reached his goal. But Payton's turquoise birthstone amulet hung from his neck and began to glow brightly. The harpoon snapped in two and Payton's grave wound began to heal. The boy began to regain his mobility and his strength was rapidly returning. Suddenly he was surrounded and immersed in the birthstone's energy and he ascended into the air. Payton then began to charge up his power.

Captain Talonscore then ordered his mates to fire up the cannon and launch the rockets, and soon both cannonball and rocket were flying in the air at 60 mph. Payton then dismantled the rockets with his energy potent punches and hard, strong, swift kicks. He dodged the cannonballs by going under, over, spinning around, swerving, careening, swiveling, twisting, gliding, and turning his way in midair and also deflected them by kicking them into the ship. The ship began to crumble before his eyes and was also in the process of sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Furious, Captain Talonscore whistled for some hawks and then they made a dash for Payton. Payton then concentrated and formed a telekinetic force field from his turquoise birthstone amulet that served as a defense wall and as the hawks lunged at the boy, they were immediately electrocuted as they collided headfirst into the force field and then dropped down below into the water and the ship in a blast of radiant energy.

The excess amount of birds falling into the water caused the ocean to surge with kinetic energy and then a rogue wave emerged. Captain Talonscore knew he was done for and then dove out of the ship for safety as the hawks rained on his vessel. The ship combusted and imploded in a flash and was instantly immolated. The explosion also knocked out Payton and he remembered crashing into the sea and the water sizzling around him. He also remembered bubbles seeping out of his nose and the sunlight shining on his face. He also recalled the water squirming and dancing around him as it closed in on him in the shallow darkness…

...

"PAYTON WAKE UP!" rasped a husky female voice and Payton started up in his bed. He then turned to Suzanne, who had been standing 3 feet away from him with a petrified, stupefied and horrified expression on her face. "Oh my God, Payton! Look at your bed! Look at what you did to your bed!" she screeched. Payton then leaped out of bed and then flicked on his flashlight and began to examine his bed sheets and what he saw rattled him out of his wits. There was a black stain on his bed; this was the 11th time he wet his bed this year, but this time it was really bad. Payton's face turned livid as he quickly realized that he was going into kidney failure.

Suzanne then scooped up the child and whisked him away from the room. To her relief, she saw Dana Hilton and Tony Jason watching late night cartoons when she reached the living room. Tony lowered down the volume and he and Dana focused their attention on the elderly actress. "Suzanne, what is it?" Dana asked her anxiously. "Payton's kidneys are shutting down. I need to wake up Mr. and Mrs. Scardsdale so we can take him to the nearest hospital," was Suzanne's explanation. Maura McEnglish then rushed downstairs and was in hysterics. "Suzanne! I can't wake up Mr. Scardsdale or Mrs. Scardsdale! I examined a glass of water that Mr. Scardsdale had drunk earlier with one of my pure crystals and I found traces of liquefied sleeping pills in his drink. They've been drugged!" she panicked.

"Looking for something?" interrupted another voice and then to their surprise and horror everyone turned around to see that it was Zalira standing in front of the backyard glass door while pointing a 3.5 caliber automatic revolver in her right hand. A butcher knife gleamed in the moonlit night in her other hand. "Are you threatening us again? We have no time for this!" Dana growled, annoyed and impatient. "Cut the crap, Zalira. The sooner Payton gets to the hospital, the sooner he'll be on dialysis," Suzanne snapped at her indignantly. "Did you drug Mr. and Mrs. Scardsdale?" Tony questioned Zalira suspiciously. "The heck I did. In fact, I was going to gun you and your diabetic friend down. Then I was going to go upstairs and murder the parents, and then I was going to go into the children's room and slaughter them all. No one takes Payton away from me," Zalira snarled in a detesting matter.

Maura McEnglish rushed to Payton's side and placed her ruby birthstone amulet on his chest. She mumbled a little prayer and then lifted Payton off Suzanne's arms and carried him into the bathroom and closed the door. 5 minutes passed before Maura McEnglish burst out of the bathroom screaming and yelling for joy. "It worked! It worked! Payton's kidneys are working properly again!" she exclaimed, overjoyed. "How did you do it?" Tony interrogated her in surprise and disbelief as he and the others congregated around the aged opera star. "Put a little faith in these jewels and they'll do the rest," answered Maura McEnglish briskly. She then levied the young boy to the bedroom, while Dana, Suzanne, and Tony followed her. Payton then was soon tucked into bed by his beloved grandmother and Maura kissed him goodnight.

Suzanne then knelt down in front of his bed. "Would you like a lullaby before you go to bed, Piglet?" Maura McEnglish offered tenderly. "Piglet?" repeated Dana Hilton as she spun around to stare at her. "My nickname for Payton. He's such a small creature that I call him Piglet," Maura McEnglish explained. Zalira tossed the gun under the sofa and bounded on the sofa. She then circled around a couple of times before crouching down on her chest and laying her head on the surface of the sofa. The young lioness lay still and listened to the heartbeats of her triplet cubs vibrate in her body. Suddenly she heard something and her ears cocked in response to the noise and she whizzed around to witness Falcon Perry and Tess McNeal sitting in the backyard patio on beach lounge chairs talking. Zalira grew curious and was intent on eavesdropping on the conversation.

"So how's afterlife treating you?" Tess McNeal enquired Falcon. "Not bad. The good news is that I'm invulnerable to most attacks by mortals, especially when it comes to fatal blows and that I'm in no absolute danger of being killed. I can practically do whatever I want. How about yourself?" Falcon answered and he drank from a glass of wine. "I've moved on with my life. I now have a new boyfriend named Abraham Hershel, and I also joined my cousin's team. I haven't spoken to Mick in years. In fact, I don't even mention him anymore. I'm just glad I have met up with you again, my Amadeus," replied Tess McNeal with a mischievous smile. "Ha! You're a spirited, bold, audacious and mischievous young lady as usual. You hardly changed at all, Tessie," laughed Falcon.

"Some people never do, Falcon. Which reminds me. Remember that duet we did together? I had a lot of fun with you that day. It was sort of a little demo I was going to show off to my friends. I really wasn't going to release it as an actual song. We worked hard on that thing all day and when the both of us went out to dinner at Olive Garden, we ended up drunk on the table," recalled Tess McNeal thoughtfully.

"And we embarrassed ourselves by singing some dirty French song and the manager had to throw us out because we were making a huge scene in there. And when we were stumbling in the park dazed I pushed you into a lake but at the same time you pulled me in and we both fell into the water. We also splashed each other awake to keep us from going under and drown. You swam to me and fell asleep in my arms and I had to carry you back to your house. By the time I laid you on the bed in your home your husband was already coming in and I had to leave so he wouldn't catch me in his territory and accuse me of sleeping with you," added Falcon, also remembering the incident.

Tess McNeal shook her head and sighed. "My husband was very jealous of anyone I happened to be with. He especially held a particular hatred for you because he thought you were the type of guy that could sweep me off my feet easily. Mick was right; you are one of the most charming men I have ever met. Would you care for a dance?" she remarked lamentably yet pleasantly.

Falcon took Tess's hand and lifted her off her seat and began to slow dance with her. As he held her in his arms and Tess laid her head on his chest, he interrogated her, "By the way, why did you agree to be an escort for all of those male celebrities they assigned you to?" "To get away from Mick. I wanted somebody who would care for me and love me," was Tess McNeal's reply as she leaned her head against Falco's head. Joshua Edwards was already slumbering in his lounge chair silently and motionlessly. "Remember 'Rocking With Mozart'?" Falcon reminded Tess McNeal.

"Oh yeah! And you gave me one of those funny costumes the ladies wore on the music video. One time, I disguised myself as one of these women and actually tricked Mick into believing that I was someone else. Once Mick was convinced that I was Lunette, (that was the name of the character I disguised myself as), he figured that it was okay to have an affair with me and that afternoon we slept together. That was when I suspected that he may be carrying on liaisons with other women behind my back as well. Besides, why else would he be extremely willing to do it with me?"

"When I returned home that night to Mick, the first thing he said to me when he saw me was, 'What is THAT on your FACE?' I was shocked and stunned at his retort and then I dabbled my finger around my eyes and when I looked at it, it was black. I had forgotten to wipe off my eye shadow. To make matters worse, some of the hairs from the wig had stuck to my clothes and I instantly knew my ruse was undone."

"Mick had discovered my treachery. 'You treacherous, deceitful, salacious hussy. I cannot believe you beguiled me into thinking you were just another woman. I'm very disgusted with you, you traitorous, heartless witch!' he hissed at me and then threw his meal at my face. I managed to dodge it though. We didn't speak to each other for the rest of the night," returned Tess McNeal loyally, although she frowned at the memory of her husband being bitterly disappointed with her behavior that night. All she wanted was to have a little fun, and he spoiled it.

She and Falcon had stopped dancing and then they walked back to their chairs. "I'm tired. It's really late. We should go to sleep now," Falcon informed her and then he puts the upper part of the chair down and lied down and fell asleep. Tess McNeal followed his move and then turned over to her side. Her body bent over and tensed with the effects of the freezing temperature. She shivered tremendously and chills ran down her spine. Her eyes closed shut and she remained still and didn't move a muscle. Her body then relaxed and her chest rose and fell as Tess McNeal gradually drifted to a peaceful slumber and a serene, beautiful quaint smile formed on her lips.

Zalira was also sprawled on the sofa sleeping soundlessly too as crickets chirped and the nightingales sang. Just then, a peach-colored bloodhound weighing over 20 pounds was prancing to the backyard glass door. He was as wrinkled and shriveled as a prune and his fur was smooth, fuzzy, blurry and ticklish. He had small, pea-sized sickly yellow golden eyes with orange/saffron irises and his ears were long, flat and shaped like propellers. These ears flapped and swished back and forth as he walked his every step. The bloodhound also had whiskers on his big, rounded snout and he also had a pod-shaped face. His bear-like paws brushed against the soft, formless soil and his short sword-like tail wagged like a twister. His name was Oreos.

Just then, as Celine Demount, Kitty Champagne, and Coral Lester stepped into the house maintaining a conversation, Oreos crashed into the glass door with a loud thud and sailed into the house with the bits of shattered glass flying all over him. He then skidded to a stop and drooled excessively on the floor. "What's up with that dog?" whispered Celine Demount while observing the bloodhound's movements. "Don't know. He's pretty large for his age. He is an awfully skinny dog though," commented Kitty Champagne. "Not much good for hunting. He shouldn't be more than two years old," theorized Coral Lester. "Not for sale," interrupted a voice and then Frankie came out to the living room.

"We're not here to buy your dog, miss. We just need a place to stay," Coral explained. "What are you doing up so late at night?" Kitty Champagne questioned Frankie. "Some nights I can't get enough sleep and I often wander around the house in the dark and wait until morning comes. There is a lot of stuff happening at night. I don't suppose you're interested in any of that," Frankie answered while giving out a big yawn. The women shook their heads. "For us we're supposed to heading to bed. Maybe another time," Celine politely declined.

"All right then. I'll be heading outside. The ladies are hovering over that baby Payton. He's 7-years-old and he still wets the bed!" Frankie retorted and with a huff brushed her hair aside and then stormed off into the backyard. She kicked Oreos aside and then ran out of the house and then flew over the marble concrete white gates and rushed into the swampy water to take a late night swim.

"On second thought, I really think we should follow her," Kitty informed her friends. "I agree. She could be in danger," agreed Coral. "Let's head out to the backyard and watch her. If something happens to her, the fastest person in this group would be the first one to go out and get her. Rock, paper and scissors would do the trick. Whoever wins is the first person to attempt to rescue her," suggested Celine. "Good idea. Let's do it," responded Kitty Champagne and then the three women formed fists and made them into a huddle.

"Ready? Paper, scissors, rock!" instructed Celine Demount and then when the ladies slammed their fists into their hands three times, each of them had a scissor, paper and rock. Coral's hand was formed into a rock so she bashed Kitty's scissor but then Celine's paper overcame her rock. "CRAP! I've been beaten by a French Canadian!" Coral swore angrily.

"This is absolutely pointless. Let's just turn into our Chinese zodiac calendar animals and get it over with," concluded Kitty Champagne, dissatisfied. Celine then morphed into a monkey while Kitty transformed into a rabbit and bolted out of the house in a flash. Coral turned into a tigress and sulked into the backyard patio with skillful stealth. However, Frankie was already in trouble, for 20 alligators, crocodiles and cockatrices were promptly pursuing her with a vengeance. She was screaming for her life as she struggled to get away.

"Hold on kid!" Kitty hollered as she soared over the flying cockatrices and they brushed past each other and began to wrestle one another into the lake. But as Kitty hovered very still in midair, a killer whale emerged and snapped at her feet with its jaws. It almost chopped off her tail – and feet – before Kitty tumbled into the water with a terrified scream.

Coral leaped at the killer whale and tried to take it down. The cockatrices surfaced out of the lake and then lunged for her back, without success. Instead, their fangs pierced through the killer whale's skin and poison oozed out. The killer whale stiffened and convulsed erratically as it glanced down at one of the serpents. Another cockatrice hissed and growled as it bared its blood-stained fangs and its tail rattled. Coral then sunk her fangs and teeth into the killer whale's skull, crushing it into pieces, and then slit its back and neck clean. Then she plunged backwards into the water as the killer whale moaned in agony and collapsed on the surface slowly as its eyes glazed and rolled over and clouded into mistiness. The blood spilled into the water and its color converted into green.

"That's disgusting! You didn't have to do that! That was totally unnecessary!" Kitty snapped at Coral, who shrugged. Just then, a crocodile was chasing Celine Demount at high speed while she was holding Frankie by the crook of the arm. One after one after one crocodile flung themselves at her and merely succeeded in giving her deep and burning bloody scratches on her right arm and body.

Another crocodile almost snapped her head off and then a huge alligator clamped his jaws shut on her tail and crushed it severely into pieces. Celine was gravely wounded and crippled as a result of this and she struggled to keep her head above water and avoid drowning. Just then, another alligator snuck up on Frankie and bit her left leg hard and fractured it completely. Frankie yelled in pain and started to cry. Blood permeated out of her leg and flowed underwater like a thick cloud of dust.

Another crocodile tackled Celine and pushed her down underwater while chomping her right shoulder. Celine then quickly panicked and feared that this was the end for her. Coral then rapidly rushed over to her aid and then lifted her on her back. She then carried the injured singer back to shore. Kitty Champagne sped over to the wounded stricken girl and transformed back into a human being and lifted her out of the water. She then swam back to shore as well with Frankie hung over her shoulder exhausted.

Coral then jumped over the gates and raced back into the house and then placed the young Frenchwoman on the couch and regressed back into human form. Celine was pale, sweaty and dazed from the sheer loss of blood. She was incessantly switching from one form to another and flicks of her monkey form and her human form.

Kitty Champagne then laid Frankie on the floor and examined her leg. Her face was lit with pure horror and mortification. Frankie was sobbing painfully. "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die," she wailed inconsolably. "What happened?" screeched Dana Hilton as she, Tony Jason, Maura McEnglish, and Suzanne Carmichael dashed to the living room immediately and surveyed the gruesome scene.

"Oh my God… Celine, what happened to you?" Suzanne gasped, horrified. "Damn alligator got me. I was ambushed all over. Then one of them went for my tail. And then I was attacked on the shoulder," spat out Celine bitterly and fumingly. "Frankie's leg is shattered pretty badly. It's a mushy, bloody mess. We better call an ambulance," Kitty informed the gang. "Why? Why?" cried Frankie in an agonized matter.

Just then Lloyd Dodgers kicked down the door and rushed over to his teammates' side. "Damn it man! That was a hell of a battle. I came down here to check up on you people and I walked in on this," he scowled. "This is the one thing I'm sure April Beaucroft would love to know about," theorized Suzanne grimly. "Yeah, I'll bet at this very moment she's spying on us right now," agreed Dana.

While this drama went on, up on the rooftop of the house was none other than April Beaucroft. She was witnessing the whole thing from a window on the roof and snapped photographs of Celine Demount's wounds as well as Frankie's. She also took pictures of the entire gang. "Well, well, Miss Celine Demount. Welcome to the Foster Report," April mused to herself and chuckled devilishly as she took another snapshot of the developing scene, the very scene that was soon to be printed in newspapers all over America and the world.

**Author's Notes:**

**So here we are. Mr. Piano has decided to come back for his son and yet failed and Payton is now residing with his new foster family with the help of Lieutenant Primestone. So I see you thought that Primestone has a very complicated personality? Well, I'm sure she means well but I think sometimes she can get extremely ruthless and harsh, especially with children. I honestly don't know what got over her; perhaps she was fed up with Payton. That was a very interesting cat fight indeed though. And yes more of Tess McNeal's past is revealed in this story, including her feelings towards the loss of her sister Nessie and of her past relationship with her husband of 7 years, Mick Anderson.**

**As for Hawks biting his thumb at Suzanne before he departed with his pride, that was a reference to "Romeo & Juliet", which I was reading at the time in my sophomore year. I also studied the cockatrices and I read that they can kill people with a single look, so it is interesting to see how it was possible for any of the Team Legacy members to not get killed by their evil glare in the first place. And as for April Beaucroft, it appears that she is not as innocent and sweet as she originally appeared to be. And if you thought she was bad here, wait till you read "Summer Brawl At Year's End", where her less than pleasant behavior and unprofessional conduct is revealed. That's where she gets really bad; as soon as I upload it, you'll know.**

**After this chapter will be the very last chapter I might upload for a while, just until I get some new ideas so I can continue on this story. I'm sure the Scardsdales are going to wake up and find poor Frankie lying in the couch severely injured and bruised; they might be forced to rush her to the hospital. I hope her heart condition is not the end of her. I'll scan this story for any subplots that have yet to be resolved, (which I'm sure there are plenty of those), and then in the later chapters I'll focus on those story lines. I have a very good idea of how this story might end but I'm not too positive of where to go from here. I'll try to get some more ideas and if I get some really good ones I will be able to continue this story and eventually wrap it up. I will also resolve any plots that might crop up and give some good explanations on what actually happened to Payton, Zalira and Winda from the conclusion of this story to the beginning of "Summer Brawl At Year's End". **

**Read and review!  
**


	12. Zalira's Reign of Terror

**Author's Notes:**

**Okay, this is the last chapter that I've written. I don't know when I'll get back to it but hopefully one of these days I will be able to resume this chapter. For now this is all I have; I must say this is the most interesting chapter yet because it reveals a large part of Team Legacy's overall history. Team Legacy actually belongs to an expansive superhero organization called The United League and its headquarters is in New York City located in the Harksmey Building. And you would not believe who was in the original team itself. Among the members of this organization are The Super Types, The Super Salsas, The Palace Legacy, etc. This chapter also explains a new and interesting concept that affects much of the United League organization called The Cycle of Heroes.****  
**

**_Chapter 11 – Zalira's Reign of Terror_**

On a crisp, chilly, dry, blustery May afternoon a middle aged actress was wandering straight to the formidable renowned Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois. Her name was Olivia Hershey, who was very well known for the 1968 version of Ross and Julie. In her hands was a worn out, withered, crinkled leather crimson and honey diary with a golden lock that can only be opened with a garnet key. But at the same time the inside of the book was made with maroon fur. This book was entitled, "The United League Diaries."

Just then, Caesar Roman waltzed into the scene and tapped on Olivia Hershey's shoulder. Olivia then turned her head around and met his countenance. "May I make an inquiry as to what are the book's contents?" Caesar asked her politely.

"This is the United League Diaries. It's supposed to be about The United League Organization. It's also about their long and lengthy history detailing back from shortly after WWI. They are pretty organized if you ask me. The original group that materialized not long after the organization formed consisted of Lord Casper Hawkins, a British aristocrat and a businessman who was in the industrial business and also was a World War I veteran who led a crew of 43 men on 20-30 successful dogfights against the Germans; Skyler Scotswood, a jet black wavy short haired girl with white highlights and thin curly bangs, was of Scottish, Belgian and Prussian descent and had been a silent film actress, vaudeville showgirl, and a painter based in France and a world class spy who was handy with sabotage and disguise."

"Tallulah Carson, a German woman who defected from her country and became a reformed U.S. Marshall had previously been a hired assassin for underground German mercenaries and other notorious figures; she also regularly put on hits on some of the most commonly targeted ethnic groups and was also a local scam artist. Tony Marshall was a gaunt-faced, square jawed, stocky, lean, tough-looking professional wrestler whose great-great-great-great-great grandfather was one of the slaves in the South freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and Sheila Wassferman was a South African immigrant who lived in France for 10 years before coming to America."

"She also was the one who first came up with a concept called, "The Cycle of Heroes." The Cycle of Heroes was a cycle of 4-5 people who lead extraordinary and unusual lives and as determined by one or more significant life events are destined to make their mark on history as a superhero and whatever career path they choose in life. Skyler Scotswood is also distantly related to Tess McNeal as a 7th cousin 8 times removed. Team Destroyer 625, as Lord Hawkins' team was called, was socially ahead of its time and ironically was discriminated during its 102 missions mainly because some of its members were black and belonged to other ethnic groups."

"Lord Hawkins, who had been widely respected by the high elite and aristocratic and middle class society, was now ostracized and shunned from his fellow Englishmen and his account was frozen. He was evicted from his house and banished for life by Parliament from his homeland. Lord Hawkins then gathers up his teammates and they relocated to New York City and found a skyscraper building on Fifth Avenue called The Harksmey."

"On the fifth floor there was a huge wide-spaced office with a gigantic, egg-shaped limestone table. The interior was built with marble stone cement, adorned with Oriental rugs and Cubist paintings from Picasso and silk curtains and Asian objects. There were miles of hallways and stairs and a Maltese guarded the front entrance to the building."

"The first floor contained art pieces showcased in glass cases and a lobby, the second and third floor contained hotel rooms, and the fourth floor was a mess room. The Harksmey was converted into a hotel/art museum. Team Destroyer 625 hardly had any visitors in their domain, except for a few occasional onlookers and some impudent youths attempting to vandalize and deface the property."

"But one day, four months before the start of the second world war, a freckled face, delicate skinned, lanky, graceful, tall woman with a hourglass figure and bony arms and legs and a round face and a short, arched nose and muddy long red/black hair went quietly into the building on an early stormy morning while the entire team was sleeping. She also was of Polish and Russian descent and was Jewish. Her amber honey eyes lit up in the hazy moonlit night and she then happened to notice a shadow of an eagle on the floor. It then grew bright red."

"The young woman was frightened about was about to run away when a voice called out, 'Do not be afraid. What you are seeing is The Cycle of Heroes. It is a special spiritual power that is bestowed on the few extraordinary superheroes that lead unusual lives and are destined to make history with their contributions of whatever path they choose besides being a superhero. 4-5 people that are chosen can obtain that power. This kind of special power consists of a designated orb energy power that combines everyone's powers and based on the majority of the inherent elemental abilities depending on what year you were born in, the orb chosen for a particular generation can be greatly enhanced and made more powerful.'"

"'The Cycle of Heroes is a continuous and repeating cycle; its power is everlasting. The more people there are, the stronger the cycle is. But if one of the members is lost or dead, the magnitude of the power of The Cycle of Heroes is slashed by half. Eventually when all of the members cease to exist, The Cycle of Heroes will be deactivated and remain dormant until a new generation emerges. However, there is one exception.' 'What is that exception?' the woman quizzed the stranger."

"'If one of the members names an heir in a magical will beforehand, then the Cycle of Heroes remains active. But even then, if that will is destroyed, then the Cycle of Heroes will be temporarily inactive. The order of the orbs is as follows: metal, moon, water, sand, fire, sun, earth, shadow, ice, electricity and telekinesis. You can also use The Cycle of Heroes yourself, but it takes up a lot of your energy and strength, and it is relatively weak, so you have to practice a lot if you want the power to be stronger,' answered the stranger and then she strode out of the darkness."

"It was Sheila Wassferman, and she had coffee roast skin and puffy, wild, curly 70's hair and she stood 5"9, almost 6 feet. With bright emerald eyes, a long, straight sloping nose, batty eyelashes, a lean, skinny, thin build and antelope-like legs and arms, it would seem like she was an exotic beauty from another land. 'Welcome. I'm Sheila Wassferman. Pleased to meet you,' Sheila Wasserman then introduced herself and shook the woman's hand."

"'Delighted to meet you as well. My name is Amber Morshelle. I come from Warsaw, Poland. My father was Russian while my mother was a Polish Jew. I left Warsaw because the Germans are being discrimatory towards the Jews. Hitler has already annexed Austria and the Sutdenlands to his new growing empire. And he is trying to build a Third Reich that would dominate Europe for a thousand years. Please let me stay. I have nowhere else to go,' the woman responded and then pleaded to Sheila Wassferman."

"Sheila Wassferman then reluctantly agreed. 'All right,' she told her. 'But Lord Hawkins would not like this. He thinks The Cycle of Heroes would end if more members were to be added to the team.' 'What an excellent building this is. I love it. It has interesting objects encased in glass cases and also a lobby,' Amber Morshelle praised Sheila Wassferman as they took a walk through the art gallery. Amber Morshelle gazed at a lifelike statue of a meerkat. She then also examined exact replicas of literature classics, such as "A Little Princess," "A Secret Garden," "Robison Crusoe," "The Count of Monte Cristo," "Huckleberry Finn," "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," "Uncle Tom's Cabin," and more. Jewels and gemstones were also displayed, and replicas of legendary gems were also featured."

"Other life-like statues of animals and historical people were shown, including lions, tigers, bears, cougars, lemurs, parrots, parakeets, cockatoos, dogs, cats, hyenas, Kerry blue terriers, shih Tzus, Malteses, panthers, Blackbeard, Frances Hodgson Burnett, George Washington Carver, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Scottish terriers, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D Roosevelt, Eleanor D Roosevelt, Pocahontas, John Smith, Thomas Rolfe, and Lizzie Borden."

"'Look at these statues! I fancy them a lot. I especially like Theodore Roosevelt. Everyone looks like they're all locked up here for display though. But I like them just the same, please don't be offended.' Amber Morshelle murmured in wonder as she viewed the art figures and objects one by one and then turned to Sheila in a sheepish manner and rushed to catch up with her."

"Then something else caught her eye. It was the replica of The Hope Diamond. 'Hey, Sheila! What is it?' Amber cried as she sighted the Hope Diamond replica. 'Don't touch it,' Sheila warned her firmly. 'Why can't I touch it?' enquired Amber in an inquisitive manner. Sheila then leaned over to her ears with a simper and whispered, 'The Hope Diamond will deliver bad luck to the one that owns it.' 'Bad luck?' Amber repeated Sheila's words. 'Anything can happen to you when you have The Hope Diamond in your hands,' Sheila explained to her. 'But it looks so pretty,' Amber murmured to herself as she watched the Hope Diamond replica glisten in the light. 'Looks can be deceiving, my child, so watch out,' Sheila said to her. Amber then stood looking at the copy of the Hope Diamond longingly and sighed softly.

'Back into the wall this instant! You are an outsider among us!' screeched a hoarse, scratchy, thick German accented voice and then a long, wavy, curled blond haired, sapphire eyed, lanky, fair faced and white skinned woman protruded out of the darkness, holding a musket. Her thin lips radiated a cruel sneer, her eyes froze with ice, and her face contorted with anger while she bares her sharp, white teeth. Amber gasped with horror and cowered down in fear while shielding her head and holding up her Star of David necklace in the air."

"The woman was Tallulah Carson and the moment she spotted the Star of David on Amber's hand, her mind snapped and she lunged at the young Jewish woman. Sheila then morphed into an octopus and used one of her tentacles to grab Tallulah and throw her in midair, and once Tallulah was in midair, Sheila changed into an eagle and swooped down on the former female assassin while assailing her with aerial strikes. Sheila then turned into a snake and while wrapping her tail around her teammate's neck, she then bashed her head against the ground five times before letting her fall to the floor and transforming into an electric dragon and vaporizing her with electricity."


End file.
